COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Departmental Buildings

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many residential properties his Department owns; and how many  (a) are occupied and  (b) have been empty for more than six months.

Barbara Follett: The Department for Communities and Local Government do not own any residential properties. The Fire Service College, an agency of the Department, currently owns 40 residential properties. 32 are currently occupied. One property has been vacant for more than six months.

English Partnerships: Public Relations

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what payments English Partnerships has made to Fleishman-Hillard in the last 12 months; for what purposes; and if he will place in the Library a copy of each of the contracts under which such payments have been made.

John Healey: No payments were made by the Homes and Communities Agency (as the successor body to English Partnerships) to Fleishman-Hilliard, in the last 12 months.

Floods: Cumbria

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of the implications of the application of Bellwin formula for the recovery operations following the recent floods in Cumbria.

Rosie Winterton: The Government are committed to supporting the local authorities and other local agencies who are doing such an excellent job to help those affected by these terrible events. We have quickly activated the Bellwin scheme, to provide emergency financial assistance to local authorities in the immediate aftermath of the floods. In recognition of the exceptional nature of the floods, the Bellwin scheme grant rate has been increased to 100 per cent. above threshold-instead of the usual 85 per cent.- scheme.

Non-Domestic Rates

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what criteria the Valuation Office Agency uses to determine whether facilities which are appurtenant exclusively to individual dwellings but which are separate hereditaments should be eligible for non-domestic rating.

Ian Pearson: I have been asked to reply.
	Facilities which are appurtenant exclusively to individual dwellings cannot be separate hereditaments. To be appurtenant a facility must be within the curtilage of a dwelling. Therefore, if it is appurtenant and exclusive to the dwelling it will form part of the same hereditament.

Property Development: Floods

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many homes there are in  (a) designated development sites in each region,  (b) such sites situated on floodplains and  (c) such sites in areas of significant flood risk.

Ian Austin: Information on the numbers of homes in designated development sites in each region, in such sites situated in floodplains and in such sites in significant flood risk areas is not available centrally.

Regeneration: Kent

Stephen Ladyman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what central Government funding is available for regeneration projects and community building initiatives in  (a) Thanet and  (b) Dover district council area in 2009-10.

Barbara Follett: The information is as follows:
	 (i) Thanet  district council  (DC) area for 2009-10:
	Within CLG's Area Based Grant, Thanet district council (DC) receive £132,647 for community cohesion, £258,000 for safer, stronger communities, and £1,598,807 from the Working Neighbourhoods Fund.
	From the joint CLG/DCSF Empty Shops Initiative, Thanet receive £50,000.
	From the joint DWP/CLG Future Jobs Fund, Thanet receive £773,500.
	Within the Thanet DC area, the Margate Dreamland project has been awarded £3.7 million (up to 2011) from the DCSF Sea Change programme and a Heritage Lottery Fund grant of £548,000.
	Thanet is a neighbourhood crime and justice pioneer area and receives Home Office funding of £75,000.
	Kent county recently received an additional £64,000 for tackling antisocial behaviour. Thanet as a priority area for ASB are likely to benefit from this funding.
	SEEDA: The figures provided are forecast expenditure by SEEDA for 2009-10 for Thanet-£1,584,000 total.
	Turner Contemporary Art Gallery-£1,275,000.
	Margate renewal delivery team (this provides support for the Margate Renewal Partnership)-£90,000
	Eurokent Business Park, Broadstairs-£219,000.
	 (ii) For Dover DC Area for 2009-10
	Within Area Based Grant, Dover DC receive £90,588 for community cohesion.
	Within the Dover DC area, the Dover Castle refurbishment project has been awarded £3.85 million (up to 2011) from the DCSF Sea Change programme.
	SEEDA-The figures provided are forecast expenditure by SEEDA for 2009-10 for Dover-£444,000 total
	Dover Waterfront-£444,000.
	(iii) Thanet and Dover will also benefit in regeneration and sustainable community terms from investment spent outside the boroughs in East Kent and beyond, such as the £40,000 SEEDA is investing in the Dover Rail Reconnection transport project.

Sheltered Housing

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  how many almshouse residents are not in properties managed by registered social landlords;
	(2)  whether the rights of residents of almshouses which are not managed by registered social landlords differ from those resident in properties managed by registered social landlords.

Ian Austin: The National Association of Almshouses produces guidance for its members. The National Standards of Almshouse Management apply to all almshouses, regardless of whether they are properties of registered social landlords (RSLs). All RSLs in England are regulated by the Tenant Services Authority (TSA) and must comply with the TSA's regulatory code.
	The number of almshouse residents who are not in properties managed by RSLs is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Tenant Services Authority

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many staff have worked for the Tenant Services Authority on secondment from other organisations since its establishment; from which organisations the employees were seconded; and what the cost to the public purse of each secondment has been.

John Healey: Eight members of staff have worked for the Tenant Services Authority (TSA) on secondment from other organisations since its establishment. Three of these secondments are currently with the TSA. The organisations concerned are as follows:
	Government Office for West Midlands
	East Thames Housing
	Homes and Communities Agency
	LHA ASRA
	Pinnacle PSG
	Communities and Local Government
	Financial Services Management Development Ltd.
	Audit Commission
	Given the number of secondments, publishing the cost to the public purse of each one could result in the identification of individual salary levels.

Vacant Land

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance he has issued to borough councils on preservation of green space when undertaking new developments.

Ian Austin: Guidance to local planning authorities on the provision and protection of open space is set out in Planning Policy Guidance note 17: Planning for Open Space, Sport and Recreation (PPG 17) and in the companion guide Assessing needs and opportunities: A companion guide to PPG17.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Athletics: East of England

Malcolm Moss: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many publicly maintained athletic tracks there are in each  (a) district and  (b) unitary council area in the east of England.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The information requested is as follows:
	
		
			  Local authority  Number of tracks 
			 Babergh District 0 
			 Basildon District 1 
			 Bedford District 1 
			 Braintree District 1 
			 Breckland District 0 
			 Brentwood District 1 
			 Broadland District 0 
			 Broxbourne District 0 
			 Cambridge District 1 
			 Castle Point District 1 
			 Chelmsford District 2 
			 City of Peterborough 2 
			 Colchester District 1 
			 Dacorum District 1 
			 East Cambridgeshire District 0 
			 East Hertfordshire District 1 
			 Epping Forest District 0 
			 Fenland District 0 
			 Forest Heath District 1 
			 Great Yarmouth District 1 
			 Harlow District 1 
			 Hertsmere District 0 
			 Huntingdonshire District 2 
			 Ipswich District 1 
			 King's Lynn and West Norfolk District 1 
			 Luton 1 
			 Maldon District 0 
			 Mid Bedfordshire District 1 
			 Mid Suffolk District 0 
			 North Hertfordshire district 0 
			 North Norfolk District 0 
			 Norwich District 2 
			 Rochford District 0 
			 South Bedfordshire District 0 
			 South Cambridgeshire District 0 
			 South Norfolk District 0 
			 Southend-on-Sea 1 
			 St. Albans District 2 
			 St. Edmundsbury District 1 
			 Stevenage District 1 
			 Suffolk Coastal District 0 
			 Tendring District 0 
			 Three Rivers District 1 
			 Thurrock 1 
			 Uttlesford District 0 
			 Watford District 1 
			 Waveney District 0 
			 Welwyn Hatfield District 1 
			 Total 33 
		
	
	This information is supplied by Sport England with data from the Active Places website.

Holiday Accommodation: Farms

Roger Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what his latest estimate is of the monetary value to the economy of income generated by self-catering farm holiday accommodation in each of the last three years.

Margaret Hodge: VisitBritain is unable to provide the data requested, but has supplied the following figures for the annual value to domestic tourism of all overnight visits to farmhouses between 2006 and 2008.
	
		
			   £ million 
			 2006 174 
			 2007 211 
			 2008 141 
		
	
	In addition, I am also aware of the tourism industry's concerns about potential impact of the furnished holiday lettings rule changes on the self catering sector, am continuing to discuss this matter with the Treasury.

Licensing Laws

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when he expects the consultation on entertainment licences for public venues with capacity for under 100 persons to be published.

Gerry Sutcliffe: We announced our intention to consult on an exemption for small live music events for audiences of no more than 100 people on 22 November and intend to publish the consultation before Christmas.

Museums and Galleries: Valuation

Edward Vaizey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans he has to ask national museums to undertake a valuation of their collections.

Margaret Hodge: We have no plans to ask national museums to undertake a valuation of their collections.

Public Houses: Closures

Malcolm Moss: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what information his Department holds on the number of pubs which have closed in each local authority area in England since 1 January 2008.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The DCMS Statistical Bulletin on Alcohol, Entertainment and Late Night Refreshment does not identify the number of pubs in England and Wales, as there is no official or established definition of a pub which distinguishes it from other premises which sell alcohol. The statistics bulletin provides detail of the number of premises authorising the sale or supply of alcohol by means of a premises license or a club premises certificate. These figures apply not only to public houses, but also to other licensed premises such as hotels, bars, restaurants, off-licenses and convenience stores.
	However, industry estimates for the number of public houses in England and Wales are available from the market research company Market and Business Development using data from the British Beer and Pub Association,
	http://www.caterersearch.com/Articles/2008/10/06/53051/number-of-pubs-in-the-uk-industry-data.html
	We are unable to assess the quality of these statistics as these are not official government statistics.

Public Libraries: Wirral

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many officials of his Department were employed on the recent inquiry into the provision of library services on the Wirral.

Margaret Hodge: The recent inquiry into the provision of library services on the Wirral was carried out by an independent consultant, Sue Charteris. A number of departmental officials were involved in supporting the work of the inquiry, for example, in providing advice to Ministers, providing legal advice and arranging for the publication of the report. This support was provided by existing staff from within existing resources.

Public Libraries: Wirral

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much was spent by his Department on the recent inquiry into the provision of library services on the Wirral.

Margaret Hodge: The Department has spent approximately £80,000 on the recent inquiry into the provision of library services on the Wirral. This includes the cost of notifications placed in newspapers, consultant's fees, legal fees and the costs of staging the necessary oral hearings.

Sports: East of England

Malcolm Moss: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many publicly maintained sports halls there are in each  (a) district and  (b) unitary council area in the east of England.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The information requested is as follows:
	
		
			  Local  authority district  Number of  sports halls 
			 Babergh 17 
			 Basildon 26 
			 Bedford 50 
			 Braintree 19 
			 Breckland 21 
			 Brentwood 17 
			 Broadland 18 
			 Broxbourne 14 
			 Cambridge 26 
			 Castle Point 15 
			 Chelmsford 42 
			 City of Peterborough 19 
			 Colchester 34 
			 Dacorum 29 
			 East Cambridgeshire 16 
			 East Hertfordshire 31 
			 Epping Forest 17 
			 Fenland 12 
			 Forest Heath 8 
			 Great Yarmouth 13 
			 Harlow 19 
			 Hertsmere 26 
			 Huntingdonshire 25 
			 Ipswich 31 
			 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 23 
			 Luton 34 
			 Maldon 10 
			 Mid Bedfordshire 27 
			 Mid Suffolk 15 
			 North Hertfordshire 24 
			 North Norfolk 19 
			 Norwich 20 
			 Rochford 13 
			 South Bedfordshire 25 
			 South Cambridgeshire 23 
			 South Norfolk 24 
			 Southend-on-Sea 27 
			 St. Albans 31 
			 St. Edmundsbury 32 
			 Stevenage 18 
			 Suffolk Coastal 23 
			 Tendring 14 
			 Three Rivers 14 
			 Thurrock 27 
			 Uttlesford 15 
			 Watford 13 
			 Waveney 28 
			 Welwyn Hatfield 22 
			 Total 1066 
		
	
	This information is supplied by Sport England with data from the Active Places website.

Sports: Leisure

Malcolm Moss: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the estimated monetary value is of the capital assets of sports and leisure facilities in each  (a) district and  (b) unitary council area in the Eastern region.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The information requested is not held centrally in the manner requested; to provide it would incur disproportionate costs.

Tourism: VAT

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will consult representatives of the hospitality and tourism industry on the effect that the application of a reduced rate of value added tax would have on that sector.

Margaret Hodge: I have regular discussions with representatives from the Tourism Advisory Council and the Tourism Alliance and continue to work across government to represent the concerns of the tourism industry at the highest level.
	The rate of value added tax is a matter for HM Treasury. I remain in discussion with the Treasury about the impact a reduced rate would have.

Visits Abroad

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the  (a) destination and  (b) purpose was of each overseas visit by officials of his Department in 2008-09.

Si�n Simon: This information is not held centrally and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Capita

Don Touhig: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether any contracts between Capita Group plc and his Department and its predecessors have been cancelled before completion since 1997; and whether Capita Group plc has been liable for any penalties arising from failings in the administration of contracts with his Department and its predecessors since 1997.

Dan Norris: DEFRA came into being in June 2001. From information held centrally the core-Department is not aware of any contracts with Capita Group plc. that have been cancelled before completion or that Capita Group plc. have been liable for any penalties arising from failings in the administration of contracts since June 2001.

Christmas

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many Christmas parties his Department plans to host in 2009; what has been budgeted for each such reception; what estimate he has made of the proportion of  (a) lamb,  (b) beef,  (c) chicken,  (d) pork,  (e) turkey,  (f) other meats,  (g) vegetables,  (h) fruit and  (i) alcohol to be served at each such function which is produced in the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Dan Norris: DEFRA's policy is that official funds should not be used for departmental Christmas parties, and the Department has no plans to host any Christmas parties in 2009 using public funds. Department expenditure has to be incurred in accordance with principles set out in Managing Public Money and HM Treasury handbook on Regularity and Propriety.

Climate Change

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many  (a) Ministers and  (b) civil servants of his Department plan to attend the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen; how many will be travelling by air; and at what cost to the public purse.

Dan Norris: holding answer 30 November 2009
	The final detail of DEFRA's attendance at Copenhagen has not been finalised.

Departmental Consultants

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many external consultants work for his Department.

Dan Norris: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Contracts

Don Touhig: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what criteria his Department uses in determining the award of contracts; and how much his Department and its predecessors spent on the advertisement of tenders for Government contracts since 1997.

Dan Norris: Public contracts must be awarded on one of two bases-either the most economically advantageous offer from the point of view of DEFRA as the contracting authority, or the lowest price. Where the most economically advantageous offer is chosen as the basis, criteria linked to the subject matter of the contract must be used to make the contract award decision. The criteria that can be used include quality, price, technical merit, aesthetic and functional characteristics, environmental characteristics, running costs, cost-effectiveness, after sales service, technical assistance, delivery date, delivery period and period of and for completion. This list is non-exhaustive and DEFRA as a contracting authority can choose other objective and non-discriminatory criteria linked to the subject matter of a contract to determine which offer is most economically advantageous. Criteria have to be built into the evaluation model.
	DEFRA came into being in June 2001. The amount spent on any advertisement of tenders for Government contracts outside of advertisement in the  Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) and on DEFRA's website is not held centrally and the information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Disclosure of Information

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many allegations of victimisation for whistleblowing have been made to his Department by its staff since 6 June 2006.

Dan Norris: There have been no known allegations of victimisation for whistleblowing reported by departmental staff since 6 June 2006.
	Civil servants are required to act in accordance with the standards and core values set out the Civil Service Code. The Civil Service Code also provides for civil servants to raise matters of concern with the independent Civil Service Commissioners if they do not receive what they consider to be a reasonable response following departmental internal procedures. The Commissioners will also consider taking a complaint direct. Further guidance on whistleblowing is set out in the Civil Service Management Code and the Directory of Civil Service Guidance.

Departmental Internet

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many  (a) page hits and  (b) visitors his Department's website received in 2008-09.

Dan Norris: The relevant information is as follows:
	
		
			   Page impressions  Unique visitors 
			 April 2008 17,219,705 437,374 
			 May 2008 19,059,294 551,334 
			 June 2008 18,454,860 557,730 
			 July 2008 17,643,506 426,035 
			 August 2008 14,862,117 358,733 
			 September 2008 18,630,950 398,167 
			 October 2008 19,025,729 448,669 
			 November 2008 19,014,067 425,768 
			 December 2008 15,693,164 334,668 
			 January 2009 18,555,975 411,057 
			 February 2009 16,659,464 390,119 
			 March 2009 19,277,860 446,237 
			 Total 214,096,691 5,185,891

Departmental Pay

John Mason: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what  (a) bonuses and  (b) incentives have been paid to (i) consultants and (ii) contractors engaged by his Department in each of the last three years.

Dan Norris: The information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Any bonuses and incentives paid to consultants and contractors engaged by the Department would be subject to the provisions of Managing Public Money.

Departmental Public Consultation

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much his Department has spent on public consultations in the last two years.

Dan Norris: DEFRA has carried out more than 161 consultations in the last two years (81 in 2007, 80 in 2008). These consultations have been paper-based and online. The size and scope of the consultations varies widely and it would be possible to calculate the spend only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the cost to his Department was of provision of office facilities to (a) special advisers and  (b) press officers in the 2008-09 financial year.

Huw Irranca-Davies: During the 2008-09 financial year, the Department provided office accommodation at the following annual cost:
	 (a) For special advisers: £44,930
	 (b) For press officers: £142,434.

Departmental Rail Travel

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on what date he last travelled by train in the course of his official duties.

Dan Norris: The Secretary of State for Environment last travelled by train in the course of his official duties on 20 November when he visited Cumbria.

Departmental Recruitment

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of jobs advertised by his Department in the last 12 months were online-only applications; and what provision his Department makes for those wishing to apply for jobs in his Department who do not have access to the internet.

Dan Norris: DEFRA and our Executive Agencies are increasingly introducing online elements to recruitment such as Occupational Personality Questionnaires. Online processes are also more efficient, especially for high volume recruitment. However, if asked we always make hard copy and e-mail versions available to applicants who are not able to use the online elements of our processes.

Departmental Taxis

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many miles  (a) Ministers and  (b) officials in his Department and its predecessor have travelled by taxi in the course of their official duties in each year since 1997; and at what cost to the public purse in each such year.

Dan Norris: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for North Southwark and Bermondsey (Simon Hughes) on 21 October 2009,  Official  Rep or t, columns 1455-56W.

Floods

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the  (a) number of homes flooded,  (b) amount of damage caused by floods and  (c) insured losses arising from floods in each of the last 10 years.

Rosie Winterton: I have been asked to reply.
	We do not hold this information centrally.

Food: Waste

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether his Department has  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated research on the quantity of food wastage since the Waste and Resources Action Programme's 2007 report, The food we waste.

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate his Department has made of the monetary value of food  (a) spoiled and  (b) disposed of in each of the last six years.

Dan Norris: The Waste and Resources Action Programme published the findings of new research into the quantity of household food and drink waste earlier this month. This revealed that 8.3 million tonnes of food and drink are thrown away by households each year, most of which (5.3 million tonnes) could have been consumed. This avoidable food and drink waste is worth £12 billion, costing on average around £480 for every household a year, increasing to £680 a year for households with children. If we stopped wasting all this avoidable food and drink it would save at least 20 million tonnes of carbon dioxide, equivalent to taking one in four cars off UK roads.
	DEFRA's Waste and Resources Evidence Programme has not commissioned any research on the quantity of food wastage in that time period. However, some evaluation of survey material on separately collected food waste has been undertaken through a research project examining municipal waste composition.

Fuel Oil

Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the effects of the levying of a tax on the use of recovered fuel oil on the volume of fuel oils dumped illegally; and if he will make a statement.

Dan Norris: The Government consider that the application of duty on the use of recovered fuel oil should have no adverse affects on the volumes of illegally dumped fuel oils, as correct disposal of hazardous waste is a legal requirement. There are controls in place to prevent the illegal dumping of waste.

KBR

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether his Department has entered into any contracts with Kellogg, Brown and Root or its subsidiaries since January 2009.

Dan Norris: The core-Department's financial system records no contracts entered into with Kellogg, Brown and Root or its subsidiaries since January 2009.

Landfill: Health Hazards

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many  (a) complaints,  (b) court actions and  (c) fines there were against landfill sites for problems related to (i) odours, (ii) water pollution, (iii) air pollution and (iv) human health impact in each region in each of the last 10 years; what the locations were of the sites in respect of which each fine was levied; and what the fine was in each case.

Dan Norris: The number of complaints made, court cases brought, and fines levied against landfill operators in each region for offences related to odour, water pollution and air pollution in each year since 2001 are listed in the following table. The Environment Agency's National Incident Recording System started in 2001. Interrogating systems which hold information prior to 2001 would incur disproportionate cost as the data was not collated centrally.
	A more detailed breakdown, including the locations of the sites involved will be placed in the Library of the House.
	
		
			  Number of incidents 
			   Region  Total number related to landfills  Air pollution-odour related  Air pollution-not odour related  Water pollution  Number of court cases  Total fines (£) 
			  2001 Anglian 60 28 19 3 3 20,000 
			  Midlands 71 48 14 5 3 3,000 
			  North East 96 35 25 6 0 0 
			  North West 762 332 378 9 2 13,000 
			  Southern 75 42 26 7 6 38,000 
			  South West 33 10 15 6 0 0 
			  Thames 31 18 13 3 0 0 
			 
			  2002 Anglian 77 40 23 5 3 75,000 
			  Midlands 124 51 27 10 1 1,250 
			  North East 116 45 14 14 0 0 
			  North West 445 369 82 10 3 31,000 
			  Southern 75 50 16 4 1 8,500 
			  South West 36 8 12 6 2 4,500 
			  Thames 56 19 22 8 0 0 
			 
			  2003 Anglian 54 31 20 3 1 15,000 
			  Midlands 104 57 28 5 5 12,500 
			  North East 94 43 16 8 2 5,500 
			  North West 155 93 45 6 3 12,000 
			  Southern 58 45 20 5 1 6,000 
			  South West 25 2 3 5 0 0 
			  Thames 51 27 20 2 0 0 
			 
			  2004 Anglian 85 34 26 2 0 0 
			  Midlands 103 40 42 10 5 42,000 
			  North East 121 40 35 13 1 2,000 
			  North West 109 64 47 4 2 20,000 
			  Southern 62 45 9 2 1 30,000 
			  South West 45 18 9 9 4 17,000 
			  Thames 67 48 36 1 1 10,000 
			 
			  2005 Anglian 76 44 20 3 0 0 
			  Midlands 57 20 26 10 2 42,000 
			  North East 93 46 32 4 3 2,000 
			  North West 78 51 22 5 2 8,000 
			  Southern 28 19 16 1 1 10,000 
			  South West 22 15 6 1 0 0 
			  Thames 42 32 27 3 0 0 
			 
			  2006 Anglian 73 47 20 4 2 47,500 
			  Midlands 43 12 18 7 1 4,000 
			  North East 41 13 9 3 4 28,800 
			  North West 41 23 14 0 0 0 
			  Southern 13 5 4 0 4 12,500 
			  South West 45 15 8 9 1 35,000 
			  Thames 37 13 6 7 1 0 
			 
			  2007 Anglian 60 32 13 8 11 41,000 
			  Midlands 51 24 21 8 0 0 
			  North East 72 28 25 5 3 22,000 
			  North West 28 18 10 4 0 0 
			  Southern 33 30 15 2 0 0 
			  South West 63 37 31 4 3 42,000 
			  Thames 36 18 14 5 9 38,249 
			 
			  2008 Anglian 51 32 8 4 2 13,000 
			  Midlands 51 24 18 5 1 16,000 
			  North East 117 73 46 8 4 4,000 
			  North West 17 10 6 2 0 0 
			  Southern 66 27 13 4 2 7,400 
			  South West 41 34 17 4 5 92,875 
			  Thames 39 31 12 3 1 20,000

Oils: Waste Disposal

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the economic viability of re-refining waste oils into base lubricating oils in the UK.

Dan Norris: Waste oil has a value and there continues to be a demand for it to be processed for energy recovery uses. If the price obtainable for waste oil for these uses reduces, this could stimulate investment in regeneration of lubricants from waste oil. Informal discussions with the sector indicate that proposed investors in regeneration continue to watch the market situation in the UK and greater re-refining remains a possibility.

Oils: Waste Disposal

Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what volume of oils was consigned for processing as waste in each year since 2001; to which  (a) facilities and  (b) companies such oils were consigned for processing in each such year; and if he will make a statement.

Dan Norris: A copy of the data requested will be placed in the Library of the House.

Waste Disposal: Finance

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what expenditure from the public purse on  (a) anaerobic digestion and  (b) composting of waste was in each of the last three years; what it is expected to be in each of the next three years; and if he will make a statement.

Dan Norris: The figures for capital spend in England on anaerobic digestion and composting of waste from the Department of Energy and Climate Change's Bio-energy Capital Grant Scheme and for future spend on DEFRA's Anaerobic Digestion Demonstration Programme and the Organics Capital Grant Programme are set out as follows.
	
		
			  Bio-energy capital grant scheme 
			   £ 
			 2006-07 0 
			 2007-08 479,521 
			 2008-09 37,500 
			  Projected spend for next three years  
			 2009-10 80,000 
			 2010-11 20,000 
		
	
	
		
			  Anaerobic digestion demonstration programme 
			   £ 
			 2009-10 6,505,101 
			 2010-11 3,289,614 
		
	
	
		
			  Organics capital grant programme 
			   £ 
			 2009-10 2,535,206 
			 2010-11 293,149 
		
	
	The following amounts have yet, to be committed by the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), which administers the Organics Capital Grant Programme on behalf of DEFRA. This provides capital support for both anaerobic digestion and in-vessel composting. WRAP is not yet in a position to say how these resources will be split between the two technologies.
	
		
			   £ 
			 2009-10 1,703,803 
			 2010-11 8,281,247 
		
	
	Anaerobic digestion projects will also be eligible to bid for the upcoming round six of the Bio-energy Capital Grant Scheme. This may result in additional resources being granted to anaerobic digestion projects.
	DEFRA is also making funding available for anaerobic digestion through the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE). The Regional Development Agencies that deliver the socio-economic elements of the RDPE are looking to fund anaerobic digestion projects but are not yet able to say what the level of expenditure will be on these projects over the next three years.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Abortion

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 
	(1)  on how many occasions the working party established to develop guidance on abortion in Northern Ireland has met in each of the last five years; and if he will publish the minutes of each such meeting;
	(2)  what recent representations he has received from Northern Ireland on the law on abortion;
	(3)  how many meetings he has had with  (a) the Minister of Health of the Northern Ireland Executive,  (b) members of the medical profession and  (c) others in relation to abortion in Northern Ireland.

Paul Goggins: The Northern Ireland Office (NIO) has not received any requests for meetings to discuss this matter from either the Northern Ireland Minister of Health or members of the medical profession. A delegation of hon. Members met with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State on 5 March 2009 to discuss these issues, and the Department also received a number of representations during the passage of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill. From time to time the NIO receive letters from members of the public and organisations both supporting and opposing changes to the law on abortion in Northern Ireland.
	I understand that the working group the hon. Member refers to was set up by the devolved administration in Northern Ireland. The Department was not represented on that group and so is not aware of its meeting schedule nor has it any access to its minutes.

Capita

Don Touhig: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on how many occasions Capita Group plc tendered for contracts let by his Department in each of the last five years; how many such tenders were successful; how much his Department paid to Capita Group plc for the execution of contracts in each such year; how many contracts which terminate after 2010 Capita Group plc hold with his Department; and what the monetary value is of all outstanding contracts between his Department and Capita Group plc.

Paul Goggins: The Northern Ireland Office (NIO), including its arms length bodies and the Public Prosecution Service Northern Ireland but excluding its agencies and NDPBs, does not record information on how many occasions an organisation tenders for a contract therefore this question could be answered only at disproportionate cost.
	The Northern Ireland Office has no record of any contracts awarded to Capita Group plc during the last five years.
	The information provided is based on contracts which have been conducted through the Department of Finance and Personnel's Central Procurement Directorate since November 2003.

Departmental Contracts

Don Touhig: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what criteria his Department uses in determining the award of contracts; and how much his Department has spent on the advertisement of tenders for Government contracts since 1997.

Paul Goggins: The Northern Ireland Office (NIO), including its arms length bodies and the Public Prosecution Service Northern Ireland but excluding its agencies and NDPBs, in determining the award of contracts, uses the criteria that the most economically advantageous contract which delivers the best value for money to the Department is selected.
	The Northern Ireland Office does not record information on the expenditure incurred on advertising tenders.

Departmental Disabled Staff

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people with a disability were employed in  (a) his Department,  (b) its agencies and  (c) its non-departmental public bodies in each of the last three years.

Paul Goggins: The following table provides information on the number of staff employed in  (a) the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) and  (b) its agencies who have declared a disability. Figures for 2007 are not available.
	
		
			  Number 
			   Core  Agency 
			 2008 53 37 
			 2009 57 35 
		
	
	The NIO does not hold this information for its non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs). This is an operational matter for each of the NIO's executive NDPBs, who operate independently of Government. I would encourage the hon. Member to write to the respective chief executives. Details of the NIO's NDPBs can be found on page seven of the NIO 2009 Departmental Report at:
	http://www.nio.gov.uk/northern_ireland_office_departmental_report_2009.pdf

Departmental Plants

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much his Department has spent on  (a) cut flowers and  (b) pot plants in 2008-09.

Paul Goggins: The Northern Ireland Office (NIO) does not record expenditure under these headings. However, the total costs paid by the NIO, including its arms length bodies and the Public Prosecution Service Northern Ireland but excluding its agencies and NDPB's, to florists and nurseries in 2008-09 was £27,980.
	Flowers and pot plants are purchased when the NIO hosts official events and receptions. During this period, the Department hosted a wide range of official events at Hillsborough Castle, which included receptions for military personnel and their families on return from Afghanistan, Iraq and other foreign postings; Royal Garden Parties and individual visits by members of the Royal family; receptions for local civic and community leaders; and other occasions including a number of visits by foreign dignitaries and events for charities such the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme.
	These figures also include flowers purchased for events which are held in Hillsborough Castle on behalf of other parties. Although the NIO does not charge these external customers directly for the cost of flowers, provision is included within a facility hire charge.

New Deal Schemes

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many young people in each ward in Northern Ireland have been helped into work under the New Deal programme  (a) in total and  (b) in each year since the introduction of the New Deal.

Paul Goggins: The operation of programmes aimed at supporting people into employment in Northern Ireland, including New Deal and the Steps to Work programme which replaced it, are the responsibility of the devolved Administration.

PRIME MINISTER

Departmental Disclosure of Information

Norman Baker: To ask the Prime Minister whether any allegations of victimisation for whistleblowing have been reported to his Office by its staff since 6 June 2006.

Gordon Brown: No.

Nuclear Weapons

Dai Davies: To ask the Prime Minister what discussions he had during the recent Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Trinidad with  (a) his counterpart and  (b) the President of (i) India and (ii) Pakistan on the nuclear weapons capability of that country; and whether he discussed the matter of nuclear disarmament with representatives of other governments at that meeting.

Gordon Brown: I refer the hon. Member to the written ministerial statement I made on 30 November 2009,  Official Report, column 113WS.

SOLICITOR-GENERAL

Departmental Legislation

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Solicitor-General what criminal offences have been  (a) abolished and  (b) created by primary legislation sponsored by the Law Officers' Departments since 1 May 2008.

Vera Baird: The Law Officers' Departments have not sponsored any legislation during the relevant period.

Domestic Violence: Prosecutions

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Solicitor-General how many prosecutions there were for offences related to domestic abuse in each of the last three years.

Vera Baird: The number of defendants prosecuted by the Crown Prosecution Service for offences of domestic violence was as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 2006-07 57,361 
			 2007-08 63,819 
			 2008-09 67,094 
		
	
	The above figures comprise offences of threatening behaviour, violence or abuse between those who are, or have been, intimate partners for family members.
	The increase in volumes over the three-year period is believed to reflect the greater willingness of victims of domestic violence to come forward and report offences to the police, as well as improvements in CPS record keeping.

Surveillance

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Solicitor-General how many covert human intelligence sources the Serious Fraud Office has recruited in each year since 2000.

Vera Baird: Owing to operational reasons, the Serious Fraud Office is unable to confirm or deny the number of covert human intelligence sources recruited since 2000.

TRANSPORT

Railway Car Park Charges

Edward Vaizey: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what his policy is on the levels of car park charges levied by regulated train operating companies.

Chris Mole: Railway station car park charges are unregulated and are therefore a commercial matter for the train operators. If a passenger considers that a station car parking charge is too high, this would be a matter for the Office of Rail Regulation as the competition authority for the railway sector, to investigate under the Competition Act 1988.

East Coast Main Line Timetable

Alan Beith: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what discussions he has had with the rail regulator and train operators on proposals for the East Coast Main Line timetable from December 2010.

Chris Mole: Department for Transport officials have regular meetings with the Office of Rail Regulation and train operators, and the proposal for a new East Coast Main Line timetable has been discussed at those meetings. No proposals have been put to Ministers and no final decisions have been taken.

London-Scotland High Speed Rail Link

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what progress has been made on plans for a new high speed rail link between London and Scotland.

Chris Mole: The High Speed 2 company will report to Ministers by the end of the year on the case for a new line to the west midlands and on the options for a larger network serving the north-west, Yorkshire, north-east and Scotland. We will consider the company's report and respond to proposals in the new year.

Light Pollution

David Heathcoat-Amory: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport if he will review the guidance given to highways authorities on light pollution in order to reduce levels of such pollution.

Sadiq Khan: The Guidance Notes for the Reduction of Obtrusive Light are produced by the Institution of Lighting Engineers (ILE), who are responsible for any reviews.

Rail Franchising

David Taylor: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what recent representations he has received on proposed changes to the franchise arrangements for operating national rail passenger services.

Chris Mole: The Department for Transport has received a number of representations with regard to amending the current national rail franchise arrangements. These representations have come from a number of bodies including the Association of Train Operating Companies, train operators and owning groups both from the UK and overseas.

Aircraft

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many pilots licensed to fly aircraft in the UK have flown  (a) a BAe 146 and  (b) a BAe 146 RJ.

Paul Clark: The information is not available in the format requested. However, since 1983 the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has issued 2,002 pilots with a license type rating which allows them to fly the BAe 146 and BAe RJ series of aircraft.

Airports

Greg Knight: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport if he will encourage airport operators to provide air-bridge facilities at all UK airports.

Paul Clark: The provision of air bridge facilities for passengers is an operational and commercial matter for individual airports.

Bicycles: Highway Code

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what recent steps his Department has taken to ensure that cyclists comply with the Highway Code.

Paul Clark: The Driving Standards Agency's publishers-The Stationery Office-promote the official print edition of the Highway Code under the banner The Highway Code-for life, not just for learners. The agency is also planning a TV filler advert specifically featuring a cyclist as someone who needs to refer to the Highway Code.
	The Department developed a new National Standard for cycle training called Bikeabililty (in England). The new National Standard aims to increase the amount of training, improve its quality, as well as make sure that cyclists are aware of the law. The Standard refers specifically to the Highway Code as providing important guidance for cyclists, detailing both the law and recommended practice. We have also developed a new THINK! Education website with resources for primary school teachers, pupils and parents covering the themes of cycle training, wearing the correct clothes, cycle maintenance and using the Highway Code.
	The enforcement of cycling offences is an operational matter for individual chief officers of police. The hazards caused by cyclists who break road traffic laws are recognised by chief officers and appropriate action is taken where such offences are detected. We support action taken by the police to deter and reduce the number of cycling offences.

Cycling: Accidents

Peter Bone: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many children were  (a) killed and  (b) seriously injured whilst riding a bicycle in the latest year for which figures are available.

Paul Clark: Twelve children (aged 0-15) on pedal cycles were killed and 405 seriously injured in reported road accidents in 2008, the latest year for which figures are available.

Dartford-Thurrock Crossing

John Whittingdale: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what steps he is taking to relieve congestion at the Dartford crossing; and if he will make a statement.

Sadiq Khan: The Highways Agency is implementing a package of measures, including average speed cameras and further traffic management technology to improve journey times.
	The Department is taking forward further work investigating measures to improve performance at the existing crossing in the short to medium term.

Roads: Accidents

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what recent steps his Department has taken to reduce the number of child road deaths.

Paul Clark: Recent steps the Department for Transport has taken to reduce the number of child road deaths include:
	new advertising and education campaigns aimed at children, their parents and teachers;
	the dissemination of the Kerbcraft child pedestrian training scheme;
	the roll out of Bikeability cycle training; and
	the roll out of school travel plans and infrastructure for safer routes to school.
	We have also, in our consultation on a new road safety strategy, proposed to provide greater encouragement for local authorities to introduce 20 mph limits and zones in streets which are primarily residential in nature.
	The safety of all road users, including children, also benefits from our activities and spending on broader road safety measures, including changes to the road environment and to improve driver behaviour.

Trust Ports

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what recent representations he has received on the commercialisation of trust ports assets.

Paul Clark: We received representations about various trust port issues during the consultation on our proposed guidance to the trust port sector. We have asked the major trust ports themselves to respond to us on restructuring issues including commercialisation of their assets.

Trust Ports

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport 
	(1)  what recent discussions he has had with  (a) the Chancellor of the Exchequer,  (b) the British Ports Association,  (c) individual trust ports,  (d) banks and  (e) local authorities on the commercialisation of trust port assets;
	(2)  what recent discussions he has had with  (a) the Chancellor of the Exchequer,  (b) the British Ports Authority,  (c) individual trust ports,  (d) banks and  (e) local authorities on alternative business models for Trust Ports.

Paul Clark: I met the director and chairman of the British Ports Association in October to discuss trust port issues including the implications of the request in Modernising Trust Ports, our guidance to the sector, for analyses by the major trust ports of their corporate structures. In addition, officials have had various discussions with the individual ports and their advisers, and banks, about the issues concerned. The Secretary of State has also met representatives from the ports of Dover and Tyne and Dover district council.

Trust Ports

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport if he will take steps to ensure that the revenue raised through any privatisation of trust ports can be used for the benefit of the local communities in which those ports are located.

Paul Clark: Under the Ports Act 1991 a trust port privatising must form a successor company and make a transfer scheme for the Secretary of State's approval after a public consultation. A levy is chargeable on the disposal by the port authority of the securities of the successor company. We would consider the allocation of sale proceeds at the time that any voluntary privatisation scheme was submitted to the Department for Transport. We would also consider the desirability of encouraging allocation of equity to managers and employees of the port.

Trust Ports

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what recent assessment he has made of the favourability of market conditions for the commercialisation of trust port assets.

Paul Clark: None. I would expect the trust ports to include some assessment of market conditions in their responses to our request for structural analyses.

WALES

Departmental Contracts

Don Touhig: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what criteria his Department uses in determining the award of contracts; and how much his Department has spent on the advertisement of tenders for Government contracts since 1997.

Peter Hain: As an associated office, the Wales Office obtains its support services through the Ministry of Justice.

Departmental Work Experience

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many  (a) work experience places and  (b) internships his Department has offered to young people in the last 12 months.

Peter Hain: The Wales Office has offered work experience to one young person in the last 12 months.

WOMEN AND EQUALITY

Equality and Human Rights Commission: Deloitte Report

Andrew Turner: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what discussions she has had with the Chairman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission on the timing of the publication of the report by Deloitte on its operations.

Robert Goodwill: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what discussions she has had with the Chairman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission on the timing of the publication of the report by Deloitte on its operations.

Maria Eagle: The commission published this report on its website on 26 November 2009. I was not involved in that decision or in its timing.

Departmental Internet

Oliver Heald: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what the cost was of maintaining the Government Equalities Office website in the 2008-09 financial year; and what the forecast cost is of maintaining websites within her responsibility in the 2009-10 financial year.

Michael Jabez Foster: The cost of maintaining the Government Equalities Office website in the 2008-09 financial year was £4,276.45.
	The forecast cost of maintaining the same website in the 2009-10 financial year is £7,500.00.

Domestic Violence

Virendra Sharma: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on the future of the rule on no recourse to public funds in respect of migrant women who have experienced domestic violence.

Maria Eagle: Last week, the Home Secretary and the Minister for Women and Equality launched Together we can end violence against women and girls, in which the Government gave a commitment to launch a national pilot to assist victims of domestic violence who have no recourse to public funds because of their immigration status.
	The pilot, which is being administered by Eaves housing, was launched this Monday (30 November 2009). I am pleased to note that Southall Black Sisters, based in the constituency of my hon. Friend the Member for Ealing Southall, (Mr. Sharma) sit on the advisory group for this pilot and are involved in delivering training for the pilot.
	I have regular discussions with ministerial colleagues on this matter through the Inter Ministerial Group on Sexual and Domestic Violence.

Equality Bill

Evan Harris: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what revisions were made to the explanatory notes to the Equality Bill following Committee stage; and what the reasons were for each such revisions.

Michael Jabez Foster: The Equality Bill was first published on 27 April this year with accompanying explanatory notes. The explanatory notes were republished on 19 November 2009, when the Bill was reintroduced in the House of Commons, following the Queen's Speech.
	Revisions to the explanatory notes were made to reflect changes to the Bill made in the Public Bill Committee and issues raised in debate, and to make some clarifications and corrections of cost estimates and minor typographical errors.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Carbon Monoxide

Tom Levitt: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if she will bring forward proposals to ensure that equipment sold for the sustained burning of fuel carries  (a) a warning of the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning and  (b) a recommendation for a carbon monoxide monitor.

Jonathan R Shaw: Gas supply companies are required by Ofgem to annually provide consumers with information about the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning. The Government encourage consumers to have appliances regularly maintained and install carbon monoxide alarms as an additional protection measure.
	DCLG is currently consulting on amendments to part J of the Building Regulations which include proposals to fit carbon monoxide alarms in properties where solid fuel appliances are installed.

Employment and Support Allowance

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many claimants of  (a) incapacity benefit,  (b) work-related employment and support allowance and  (c) support group employment and support allowance aged under 25 years old there were in each of the last (i) five years and (ii) four quarters.

Jonathan R Shaw: Information is not presently available separately for work-related and support group employment and support allowance.
	The available information is in the following tables.
	
		
			  Incapacity benefit and severe disablement allowance claimants under the age of 25 years as at May in each of the last five years and the last four quarters 
			   Number 
			 May 2005 173,180 
			 May 2006 166,740 
			 May 2007 165,740 
			 May 2008 162,780 
			 August 2008 164,320 
			 November 2008 156,540 
			 February 2009 135,180 
			 May 2009 120,990 
			  Notes: 1. Case load figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. From 6 April 2001, no new claims to severe disablement allowance were accepted.  Source: The Department for Work and Pensions Information Directorate: Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study. 
		
	
	
		
			  Employment and support allowance claimants under the age of 25 years in each of the last three quarters 
			   Number 
			 November 2008 9,770 
			 February 2009 29,470 
			 May 2009(1) 46,200 
			 (1) Provisional data  Notes: 1. Case load figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Employment and support allowance replaced incapacity benefit and income support paid on the grounds of incapacity for new claims from 27 October 2008. 3. The figures relating to employment support allowance have been thoroughly quality assured to National Statistics standard; however it should be noted that this is a new benefit using a new data source which may not have reached steady state in terms of operational processing and retrospection. Hence most recent data shown are provisional.  Source: The Department for Work and Pensions Information Directorate: Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study.

Employment Schemes: Disabled People

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to the answer of 19 October 2009,  Official Report, column 1253W, on employment schemes: disabled, in what circumstances disabled people not in work and not in receipt of jobseeker's allowance or employment and support allowance receive assistance from employment programmes.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 30 November 2009
	Disabled people not in work and not in receipt of jobseeker's allowance or employment and support allowance may obtain support from our employment programmes under the following circumstances:
	 WORKSTEP
	A former WORKSTEP participant who had progressed to unsupported employment but needs to return to the programme within two years; or
	A former WORKSTEP participant who left the programme for any reason (other than above) but needs to return to the programme within one year; or
	A recent/prospective education leaver for whom there is clear evidence of a need for support in work; or
	A customer who has been granted access to WORKSTEP through a discretionary decision based upon a business case approved by an appropriate Jobcentre Plus manager; or
	A customer who is in receipt of a War Disablement Pension/Armed Forces Compensation Scheme; and
	Be at least 16 years old.
	 Work Preparation
	Participants must be on the Disability Employment Adviser's caseload and have a defined job goal; and
	Have disability-related needs in making a final choice of occupation or looking for work effectively; and
	Be likely to be capable of working or undertaking training by the end of the programme; and
	Be at least 16 years old.
	 Residential Training
	Customers must satisfy the following eligibility conditions:
	Participants must be unemployed on day one of training; and
	Be at least 18 years old.
	 Access to Work
	Access to Work is available to disabled people not in receipt of employment support allowance or jobseeker's allowance who are in employment, or to meet needs that may arise when attending a job interview.
	 Job Introduction Scheme
	The applicant must be disabled as defined by the Disability Discrimination Act 1995. The job can be full or part-time, but must be expected to last for at least six months including the Job Introduction Scheme period.
	In addition, disabled people do not need to be claiming any benefits to access support from a Disability Employment Adviser. The Disability Employment Adviser works with unemployed individuals who need more extensive support because of their health condition, but also with those in employment who may need support to keep their jobs.

Incapacity Benefit: Appeals

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what proportion of people in each constituency aged  (a) between 18 and 24 years,  (b) between 25 and 49 years and  (c) 50 years and over who had had (i) incapacity benefit and (ii) employment support allowance withdrawn began reclaiming the benefit after appeal in each of the last five years.

Jonathan R Shaw: The information requested is not available.

Industrial Diseases: Compensation

Michael Clapham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to the answer of 10 November 2009,  Official Report, columns 298-99W, on industrial diseases: compensation, how many of the 858 former miners who have received an award of industrial disablement benefit for osteoarthritis of the knee have  (a) had their level of disability assessed at 14 per cent. or more and  (b) reached the 14 per cent. required for an award of industrial disablement benefit by aggregation with an earlier disablement assessment.

Jonathan R Shaw: Of the 858 miners who had received an award of industrial injuries disablement benefit (IIDB), 566 received assessments at 14 per cent. or more. A total of 292 miners with an under 14 per cent. assessment received either an increase, or a new award of IIDB from aggregation, but we do not have a further breakdown of this figure.
	 Source: DWP clerical count.

Industrial Diseases: Compensation

Michael Clapham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to the answer of 10 November 2009,  Official Report, columns 298-99W, on industrial diseases: compensation, how many of the 858 former miners awarded industrial disablement benefit there were  (a) in each age group,  (b) of each level of disability and  (c) who received industrial injury benefit awards at each level; and in respect of how many of the remaining 2,552 claims a disablement assessment of less than 14 per cent. has been made.

Jonathan R Shaw: We do not have any information available regarding the age of those miners who received an award of industrial injuries disablement benefit. Of the 858 miners with an award, 566 received an assessment of 14 per cent. or greater and 292 received an assessment of under 14 per cent. We have no information available on the precise level of disablement assessment or payment they received.
	Of the remaining 2,553 claims, 479 received an assessment of under 14 per cent.
	 Source: DWP clerical information.

Pension Credit: Newcastle Upon Tyne

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many  (a) individuals and  (b) households were in receipt of pension credit in the city of Newcastle in (i) February 2004 and (ii) each year since 2004.

Angela Eagle: The information requested is in the following table:
	
		
			  Numbers in receipt of pension credit in Newcastle 
			   Households  Beneficiaries 
			 February 2004 4,050 4,730 
			 May 2004 4,320 5,050 
			 May 2005 4,510 5,330 
			 May 2006 4,530 5,350 
			 May 2007 4,510 5,330 
			 May 2008 4,470 5,280 
			 May 2009 4,400 5,180 
			  Notes: 1. The number of households in receipt are rounded to the nearest ten. 2. Household recipients are those people who claim pension credit either for themselves only or on behalf of a partner. 3. Number of beneficiaries-pension credit is claimed on a household basis and therefore the number of people that pension credit helps is the number of claimants in addition to the number of partners for whom they are also claiming. 4. Figures provided are for Newcastle Upon Tyne Central which is the number of individuals or couples living in the parliamentary constituency of the MP and is defined by the address and postcode of those individuals.  Source: DWP Information Directorate Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study.

Social Security Benefits: Lone Parents

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many lone parents have been subject to benefit sanctions in each quarter of the last five years; and what proportion of benefit claimants that figure represented in each such quarter.

Helen Goodman: The information is not available.

Social Security Benefits: Mentally Ill

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people with mental health problems have been assessed as unable to work through the  (a) work and  (b) personal capability assessment in the last five years.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 30 November 2009
	The information requested is not available.

Winter Fuel Payments

David Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many  (a) households and  (b) persons were in receipt of winter fuel allowance in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Angela Eagle: 8,980,000 households and 12,420,000 individuals were in receipt of the winter fuel payment in 2008-09.
	 Note: Figures are rounded to the nearest 10,000.
	 Source: Information Directorate, 100 per cent. data.

Winter Fuel Payments

David Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the cost to the public purse of winter fuel allowance was in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Angela Eagle: £2.7 billion was spent on winter fuel payments in 2008-09.
	 Note:
	Figure is rounded to the nearest 100 million
	 Source:
	Information Directorate

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Afghanistan

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his EU counterparts on potential EU diplomatic contributions to the campaign in Afghanistan.

Ivan Lewis: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary regularly discusses the EU's role in Afghanistan with his EU counterparts. The UK has supported Sweden, the current presidency, in prioritising Afghanistan within the EU, including driving forward a new strategy to enhance EU engagement in Afghanistan and Pakistan. This strategy was discussed and adopted at the European Council on 30 October 2009.
	The EU's assistance to Afghanistan and Pakistan is substantial and has been steadily increasing. Assistance to date has achieved much, including better access to health provisions; support to rural livelihoods; support to Afghan refugees; rebuilding infrastructure and support to the reestablishment of public services, including paying the salaries of key public workers (teachers, nurses and doctors). But it is right that we, the EU, look to see how we can deliver even more.

Anti-Semitism

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he received on anti-Semitic behaviour by pupils of North Naples middle school, Florida in November 2009; whether he has had discussions with to the US Administration on that matter; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has received no independent reports about the behaviour of pupils at North Naples Middle School in Florida in November, but he is aware of the press coverage. We believe that any instances of anti-Semitic and discriminatory behaviour-particularly by children-are a cause for common concern. We note that the school has treated the matter very seriously and has been reportedly quick to take action to address the issue. This includes through an address to students by the Assistant Principal covering the student code, an explanation of why what happened was wrong, the in-school suspension of the offending students and the summoning of their parents to school conferences.
	Anti-Semitism is a cause of common concern for the US and UK, and we continue to work closely with the US Administration and other partners to combat anti-Semitism wherever it occurs. For example, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has been a strong supporter of the All-Party Parliamentary Inquiry into Anti-Semitism since it launched in 2006, working in partnership with the All-Party Group, colleagues across Government and Jewish non-governmental organisations to drive forward recommendations made in the inquiry. Our embassies have also supported inquiry members in their overseas visits, spreading the All-Party Group's unique approach to dealing with anti-Semitism to other countries, such as the US, Germany, Canada, Latvia and Argentina.

China: Politics and Government

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the US administration on their policy on the resumption of dialogue between the Chinese Government and representatives of the Dalai Lama.

Ivan Lewis: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has not discussed with the US Administration their policy on the resumption of dialogue between the Chinese Government and representatives of the Dalai Lama. US President Barack Obama discussed the matter with President Hu of China during his recent visit to that country, informing him of the support of the US for an early resumption of dialogue between the Chinese Government and representatives of the Dalai Lama.
	We have discussed the issue at official level here and share the view with the US Administration that the interests of both Chinese and Tibetans are best served by a resumption of dialogue. We have encouraged the Chinese in that direction, including during my visit to China and Tibet in September where I made clear in my discussions our view that long-term stability can only be achieved through respect for human rights and greater autonomy, which in turn can be reached through substantive dialogue.

Departmental Consultants

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many external consultants work for his Department.

Chris Bryant: Responsibility for procuring external consultants is devolved to individual internal directorates, departments and overseas posts within the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) against the provision of central advice and guidance. Each directorate, department and post would need to be contacted to obtain the details requested and collating such information would require additional resource which would exceed the current threshold for disproportionate cost.
	In addition, consultancy contracts may be let for a fixed price. Under such circumstances, the FCO would be less interested in the number of consultants used on a particular project by a consultancy company as it would be up to the company to decide on the resources required to deliver against the statement of requirements/terms of reference, remaining within the contracted price.

KBR

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether his Department has entered into any contracts with Kellogg, Brown and Root or its subsidiaries since January 2009.

Chris Bryant: Since January 2009, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has entered into one contract with Kellogg, Brown and Root for the provision of 'Life Support' in Iraq. This includes catering, laundry, site management, cleaning services, site and accommodation waste removal and vector control. The contract has an estimated value of £3 million per annum.

Kenya: Civil Servants

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the government of Kenya on the non-payment of pensions to retired Kenyan civil servants with British citizenship who are resident in that country.

Ivan Lewis: The Government are very concerned by the Freezing Order issued by the High Court on 23 October 2009 on accounts belonging to the Government of Kenya held by Crown Agents Bank. The freezing of these accounts affects the payment of pensions to former Kenyan civil servants. We are raising the issue with the Government of Kenya who are fully aware of their responsibilities in the matter.

Venezuela: Nuclear Weapons

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will hold discussions with his Venezuelan counterpart on the nuclear weapons capability of that country.

Chris Bryant: Venezuela has no nuclear weapon capability. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has no plans to speak to his Venezuelan counterpart on this matter.

Western Sahara: Natural Resources

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to the answer of 14 July 2009,  Official Report, column 336W, on Western Sahara: natural resources, what account he has taken in the formulation of his policy of the statement by the former legal counsel to the United Nations on  (a) the legality of exploitation of natural resources in Western Sahara and  (b) the interests and wishes of the people of Western Sahara.

Ivan Lewis: When considering their policy on the extraction of resources in the disputed territory of Western Sahara, the Government took into account the opinion set out by the UN Legal Counsel, then Hans Correll, in his letter to the President of the Security Council of 29 January 2002.
	On this basis, the UK's position remains that Morocco, as the de facto administering power of Western Sahara, is obliged under international law to ensure that economic activities under administration-including the extraction and exportation of natural resources-do not adversely affect the interests of the people in Western Sahara.

JUSTICE

Capita

Don Touhig: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  whether any contracts between Capita Group plc and his Department and its predecessors have been cancelled before completion since 1997; and whether Capita Group plc has been liable for any penalties arising from failings in the administration of contracts since 1997;
	(2)  on how many occasions Capita Group plc tendered for contracts let by his Department and its predecessors in each of the last five years; how many such tenders were successful; how much his Department and its predecessors paid to Capita Group plc for the execution of contracts in each such year; how many contracts which terminate after 2010 Capita Group plc hold with his Department; and what the monetary value is of all outstanding contracts between his Department and Capita Group plc.

Michael Wills: The Ministry of Justice was formed on 9 May 2007. This merger included the former Department of Constitutional Affairs and the National Offender Management Service, which was formerly part of the Home Office. Expenditure related to external consultants is not held centrally. To obtain this information would require approaching a large number of local business units across England and Wales and this could be undertaken only at disproportionate cost.
	Centrally available data shows that 16 contracts were awarded to Capita Resourcing Ltd. (part of Capita Group plc) for the provision of professional services from the period 1 May 2008 to present. Of these, three terminate after 31 December 2010.
	Data about cancellation before completion, liability for penalty payments, the number of times a company tenders for business and its subsequent success rate and the monetary value of all outstanding contracts are not held centrally, for the reasons explained above, and could be gathered only at disproportionate cost. The Ministry of Justice is implementing a new procurement system that will enable more data to be captured and maintained. Implementation is due to complete at the beginning of 2010 with information being available in the second quarter of 2010.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the cost to his Department was of provision of office facilities to  (a) special advisers and  (b) press officers in the 2008-09 financial year.

Michael Wills: It is not possible to disaggregate the cost of office facilities provided to special advisers and press officers from the total cost of providing office facilities to the Ministry of Justice as a whole.

Prisoners Transfers

John Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what account is taken of the views of the family of the victim in deciding to transfer a person convicted of murder to an open prison.

Maria Eagle: The family of the victim are able to submit a victim impact statement to oral hearings of the independent Parole Board when it is considering the suitability for transfer to an open prison-or the release-of a person serving a sentence of life imprisonment or an indeterminate sentence of imprisonment for public protection. This would include the hearing for an offender sentenced to an indeterminate sentence, having been convicted of murder. The purpose of these statements is to convey the family's views about the impact of the crime and the likely impact on the family of the prisoner's potential transfer to open prison or release into the community.
	In addition, victims have a statutory right to make representations about the licence conditions or supervision requirements to which an offender should be subject to on release from prison, including temporary releases on licence from prison.
	Transfer of any prisoner to open conditions will only take place if continued detention in closed conditions is no longer necessary for the protection of the public. Open conditions allow prisoners to find work, re-establish family ties and reintegrate into the community. All these are essential components for successful resettlement and an important factor in protecting the public.

Taxation: Domicile

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will bring forward amendments to the Constitutional Reform and Governance Bill to make people who are non-domiciled for taxation purposes ineligible for election to the House of Commons.

Michael Wills: The Government support the principle that Members of Parliament should pay taxes in the United Kingdom. We have no current plans, however, to table such amendments to the Constitutional Reform and Governance Bill.

Terry Jupp

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice for what reasons the inquest into the death of Mr. Terry Jupp has been further postponed; on what date he expects the inquest to begin; and if he will make a statement.

Jack Straw: Operational matters, such as the reasons for the adjournment and the listing of inquests, are solely for coroners, who are independent judicial office holders. I understand, however, that the coroner for Southend and South East Essex, Dr. Peter Dean, hopes to resume the inquest into Mr. Jupp's death in May 2010.

Young Offenders: Location

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many and what proportion of young people in young offender institutions aged  (a) between 10 and 12,  (b) between 13 and 15,  (c) 16 or 17 and  (d) between 18 and 20 years old were held over 20 miles away from their previous homes in each year since 1997.

Maria Eagle: The following table shows the number and percentage of 15 to 20-year-old male and female offenders in young offender institutions (YOIs) who were detained over 20 miles from their home area, in each of the last five years. Data prior to 2005 are not available in the format requested.
	All prisoners are asked for details of their home address on first reception to prison and on discharge from prison. Approximately 60 per cent. of prisoners (both male and female) are shown to have given a recognised address.
	If no address is given, various proxies are used to determine distance from home, including next-of-kin address and committal court address.
	Those aged 10 to 14 are not held in YOIs.
	
		
			  Date  Number of 15-year-olds held over 20 miles from home  Proportion of 15-year-olds held over 20 miles from home (Percentage)  Number of 16 and 17-year-olds held over 20 miles from home  Proportion of 16 and 17-year-olds held over 20 miles from home (Percentage)  Number of 18,19 and 20-year-olds held over 20 miles from home  Proportion of 18, 19 and 20-year-olds held over 20 miles from home (Percentage) 
			 September 2005 213 80 1,607 80 4,348 82 
			 September 2006 256 82 1,772 82 4,656 82 
			 September 2007 217 82 1,721 81 4,645 80 
			 September 2008 198 82 1,702 80 4,672 80 
			 May 2009 161 76 1,435 78 4,886 83

HOME DEPARTMENT

Antisocial Behaviour Orders: Young People

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many children aged between 10 and 15 years breached anti-social behaviour orders in  (a) 2006 and  (b) 2007; and how many breaches occurred in each year.

Alan Campbell: During 2006, 289 persons aged between 10 and 15 years breached their antisocial behaviour order on a total of 1,020 occasions. The equivalent figures for 2007 are 250 persons and 942 occasions respectively.

Asylum

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many children seeking asylum and aged  (a) 17,  (b) 12 to 16,  (c) five to 11 and  (d) under five years old have been removed from the UK through (i) voluntary and (ii) forced departure in each year since 1997.

Alan Johnson: The following table shows the number of removals and voluntary departures of children asylum cases under 18 years of age, including dependants, from the United Kingdom between 2004 and 2008, by age group and type of departure.
	Published statistics on immigration and asylum are available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate website at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration-asylum-stats.html
	
		
			  Removals and voluntary departures( 1,2)  of children asylum cases( 3) , by age group and type, 2004 to 2008 
			  Number of departures( 4) 
			   2004  2005  2006  2007  2008( 5) 
			 Enforced removals and notified voluntary departures(6,7) 1,050 1,400 1,035 570 505 
			  O f which:  
			 Under 5 years 435 500 375 220 175 
			 5 to 11 years 295 435 355 205 180 
			 12 to 16 years 205 330 230 115 120 
			 17 years 115 140 80 30 25 
			   
			 Assisted voluntary returns(8) 295 235 580 305 160 
			  O f which:  
			 Under 5 years 120 110 280 145 70 
			 5 to 11 years 100 65 190 95 50 
			 12 to 16 years 60 40 80 50 30 
			 17 years 20 20 30 15 10 
			   
			 Other voluntary departures(9) n/a - 30 35 60 
			  O f which:  
			 Under 5 years n/a - 5 5 10 
			 5 to 11 years n/a - 15 15 20 
			 12 to 16 years n/a - 5 10 20 
			 17 years n/a - 5 5 15 
			   
			 Total removals and voluntary departures 1,345 1,635 1,645 905 725 
			  O f which:  
			 Under 5 years 555 610 660 370 255 
			 5 to 11 years 395 500 555 310 250 
			 12 to 16 years 265 370 320 175 170 
			 17 years 135 155 110 50 50 
			 n/a = not applicable.  (1) Figures are rounded to the nearest 5 (- = 0, * = 1 or 2) and may not sum to the totals shown because of independent rounding.  (2) Figures include dependants.  (3) This figure may overstate because some applicants aged 18 or over may claim to be younger on their date of departure from the UK.  (4) Removals and voluntary departures recorded on the system as at the dates on which the data extracts were taken.  (5 )Provisional figures. Figures will under record due to data cleansing and data matching exercises that take place after the extracts are taken.  (6) Due to a reclassification of removal categories, figures include asylum removals which have been performed by enforcement officers using port powers of removal and a small number of cases dealt with at juxtaposed controls.  (7) Since October 2006, figures include persons leaving under facilitated return schemes.  (8) Persons leaving under assisted voluntary return programmes run by the International Organisation for Migration. May include some cases leaving under the assisted voluntary return for irregular migrants programme and some cases where enforcement action had been initiated.  (9) Since January 2005, persons who it has been established left the UK without informing the immigration authorities.

Asylum: China

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for political asylum his Department has received from individuals from China citing their Tibetan origin as a reason for seeking asylum in each year since 1997.

Phil Woolas: The requested information relating to Chinese nationals is not collated and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost through the examination of individual case records.
	Information on asylum and settlement, including figures on Chinese nationals, is published annually and quarterly. Annual statistics for 2008 and statistics for Q3 2009 are available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate web site at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration-asylum-stats.html

Crime

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) criminal offences and  (b) civil offences at all levels (i) were committed and reported and (ii) are estimated to have been committed but not reported in the last year for which figures are available.

Alan Campbell: holding answer 1 December 2009
	The British Crime Survey (BCS) gives a count of criminal offences experienced by adults resident in households in England and Wales. For the crime types that it covers, the BCS provides a better guide to the level of crime as it includes those that are not reported to the police, or recorded by them. As such, the BCS asks victims whether an incident had been reported to the police, or whether the police came to know about it another way, and is therefore able to estimate reporting rates.
	The 2008-09 BCS estimates that there were approximately 10,687,000 crimes. The survey estimated that the police came to know about 41 per cent. of such incidents and conversely, 59 per cent. went unreported. The BCS does not cover civil offences and thus comparable figures are not available.

Crime: Closed Circuit Television

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what recent estimate he has made of the number of crimes detected in which evidence from closed circuit television was the primary factor in the last 12 months;
	(2)  what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of closed circuit television in  (a) preventing and  (b) prosecuting crime.

Alan Campbell: The most recent and most robust assessment of the international evidence on the impact of CCTV was a 2008 systematic review published by the Campbell Crime and Justice Group. The review was part funded by the Home Office. The review found that CCTV has a modest but statistically significant crime reduction effect; is most effective in reducing crime in car parks; is most effective when targeted at vehicle crimes (largely a function of the successful car park schemes); and is more effective in reducing crime in the UK than in other countries. The review concludes that CCTV is an effective crime prevention measure in public spaces, but, in contrast to its current broad application, should focus only on the specific targets against which it is shown to be most effective.
	Further work is under way to strengthen the evidence base including work by the National Policing Improvement Agency and Cheshire Constabulary to provide a qualitative analysis of recorded crime data and case files in Cheshire to determine the value of CCTV to investigations.

Departmental Consultants

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many external consultants work for his Department.

Phil Woolas: The Home Department's commercial objectives require consultancy services to be commissioned in terms of defined output, not in terms of the individuals assigned by the firms. The Department does not hold information on individual consultants.
	The Home Department uses a wide range of firms, from small specialist companies with niche expertise and few employees, to global multinational organisations offering a broad spectrum and substantial depth of consultancy expertise.

Departmental Contracts

Don Touhig: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what criteria his Department use in determining the award of contracts; and how much his Department has spent on the advertisement of tenders for Government contracts since 1997.

Phil Woolas: The Home Department awards contracts in competition according to the EU Procurement Directives based on value for money. Use is made of criteria linked to the subject matter of the contract to determine that an offer is the most economically advantageous tender including quality, price, technical merit, aesthetic and functional characteristics, environmental characteristics, running costs, cost effectiveness, after sales service, technical assistance, delivery date and delivery period and period of completion.
	A search of records since 1997 for expenditure on the advertisement of tenders for contracts would incur disproportionate cost, however, from best available records the Department since 2006 has spent £3,495 excl. VAT on advertising tenders.
	Tenders, subject to EU Procurement Directives thresholds, are advertised at no cost in the Official Journal of the EU. OJEU notices can be created within the Home Office eSourcing Tool (PCT) and submitted directly for publication in the Official Journal of the EU.

Departmental Databases

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what databases for which his Department is responsible have been subject to confirmed security breaches in each of the last five years.

Phil Woolas: The Security Policy Framework, the Data Handling Report and the National Information Assurance Strategy produced by the Cabinet Office provide a strategic framework for protecting information that Government handle and put in place a set of mandatory measures to which departments must adhere.
	It is not in the interest of the security of the department, or that of the public, to disclose detailed information relating to electronic breaches of security of departmental IT systems. Disclosing such information would carry a significant risk of enabling criminals and those who would attempt to cause disruptive threats to the department to deduce how to conduct attacks and therefore potentially enhance their capability to carry out such attacks.
	To help defend against electronic attack, it is standard good information security practice not to comment on such incidents.

Departmental Taxis

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many miles  (a) Ministers and  (b) officials in his Department have travelled by taxi in the course of their official duties in each year since 1997; and at what cost to the public purse in each such year.

Phil Woolas: As we do not waste taxpayers' money on pointless bureaucracy, information relating to how many miles  (a) Ministers and  (b) officials in the Home Office have travelled by taxi in the course of their official duties in each year since 1997 is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Trainings

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what training sessions were attended by  (a) Ministers and  (b) special advisers in his Department at public expense in each of the last three years.

Phil Woolas: Training is provided to Ministers and special advisers as part of their induction and continuing development in order to carry out their respective duties effectively under the Ministerial Code and the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers. Details of training provided to Government Ministers by the National School of Government are publicly available and can be found at:
	http://www.nationalschool.gov.uk/policy/MinisterialProgramme/Table.asp

Deportation: Security

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the estimated cost of security guard escorts for forced removals and deportations from the UK  (a) was in each year from 2006-07 to 2008-09 and  (b) is in 2009-10; and what proportion of those costs are attributable to outsourced or agency staff in each of those years.

Phil Woolas: The UK Border Agency has contracts with private suppliers to escort individuals removed from the United Kingdom. The value of contracts is commercially sensitive due to ongoing procurement activity and cannot therefore be disclosed.
	The value of contracts to escort individuals removed from the United Kingdom in 2006-07 and 2007-08 was:
	
		
			   £ million 
			 2007-08 10.43 
			 2006-07 9.15

Entry Clearances

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) postal and  (b) premium applications for further leave to remain have been made under Tier 4 of the points-based immigration system since 5 October 2009; and how much revenue has accrued from fees for applications of each type since that date.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 25 November 2009
	 The number of postal applications made for further leave to remain under Tier 4 of the points-based immigration system during the period 5 October 2009 to 22 November 2009 is 36,251. The value of these applications is £12,939,465.
	The number of premium applications for further leave to remain made under Tier 4 of the points-based immigration system during the period 5 Oct 2009 to 22 November 2009 is 3,369. The value of these applications is £1,903,485.
	The amount of revenue earned from fees from caseworking activities in respect of postal applications for further leave to remain made under Tier 4 of the points-based immigration system during the period 5 October 2009 to 22 November 2009 is £5,829,453.
	The amount of revenue earned from caseworking activities in respect of fees for premium applications for further leave to remain made under Tier 4 of the points-based immigration system during the period 5 October 2009 to 22 November 2009 is £1,962,245.
	This information is derived from internal management information systems. All figures from this source are provisional and subject to audit and amendment.

Entry Clearances: Overseas Students

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many students from each European Union member state have come to the UK to study in the last five years.

David Lammy: I have been asked to reply.
	The latest information from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) on entrants to UK Higher Education Institutions from EU countries is shown in Table 1.
	
		
			  Table 1: EU domiciled entrants( 1)  by country of domicile: UK higher education institutions( 2 ) : Academic years 2003-08 
			  EU  c ountry of domicile  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 Austria 665 620 615 655 670 
			 Belgium 1,050 970 1,005 1,070 1,045 
			 Bulgaria(3) n/a n/a n/a n/a 870 
			 Cyprus(4) n/a 3,315 3,725 4,300 4,600 
			 Czech Republic(4) n/a 440 530 615 670 
			 Denmark 845 795 735 725 800 
			 Finland 805 740 740 690 725 
			 France 6,825 7,060 7,590 7,940 8,160 
			 Germany 6,095 6,425 6,925 7,285 7,495 
			 Gibraltar 280 225 230 250 245 
			 Greece 9,590 8,375 7,635 6,900 6,060 
			 Hungary(4) n/a 365 470 530 500 
			 Irish Republic 7,120 8,020 7,355 7,095 7,045 
			 Italy 2,310 2,370 2,445 2,865 2,735 
			 Luxembourg 310 300 345 360 350 
			 Malta(4) n/a 315 340 335 365 
			 Netherlands(4) n/a 1,095 1,255 1,300 1,530 
			 Poland(4) n/a 1,680 3,035 4,145 4,630 
			 Portugal 1,095 1,160 1,135 1,195 1,150 
			 Romania(3) n/a n/a n/a n/a 850 
			 Spain 3,365 3,280 3,340 3,485 3,230 
			 Sweden 1,405 1,520 1,420 1,390 1,295 
			 Estonia(4) n/a 130 250 285 340 
			 Latvia(4) n/a 160 370 535 610 
			 Lithuania(4) n/a 340 750 880 965 
			 Slovenia(4) n/a 125 170 115 140 
			 Slovakia(4) n/a 285 435 460 565 
			 EU, not otherwise specified n/a n/a n/a n/a 25 
			 Total EU countries 42,885 50,120 52,835 55,405 57,665 
			 (1) Covers entrants to all levels and modes of study. (2) Excludes the Open University due to inconsistencies in their coding of entrants across the time series. (3). 2007 EU accession country. (4) 2004 EU accession country  Notes:  Figures are based on a HESA standard registration population and have been rounded to the nearest five.  Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) 
		
	
	Table 2 shows participation by learners from the EU in further education provision in England in 2007-08, only where they have been recorded on the FE Individualised Learner Record. Analysis of information for 2003-04 to 2006-07 is not currently available. To provide this information would entail disproportionate costs.
	
		
			  Table 2: Participation by LSC-funded learners from the EU in further education provision in England, 2007-08 
			  EU  c ountry of domicile  2007-08 
			 Austria 140 
			 Belgium 190 
			 Bulgaria - 
			 Cyprus 10 
			 Czech Republic 1,030 
			 Denmark 140 
			 Finland 50 
			 France 10 
			 Germany 1,250 
			 Gibraltar 10 
			 Greece 140 
			 Hungary 1,000 
			 Irish Republic 380 
			 Italy 10 
			 Luxembourg 10 
			 Malta 30 
			 Netherlands 500 
			 Poland 11,450 
			 Portugal 930 
			 Romania - 
			 Spain 10 
			 Sweden 170 
			 Estonia 130 
			 Latvia 540 
			 Lithuania 1,000 
			 Slovenia 30 
			 Slovakia 1,610 
			 Total 20,760 
			  Notes: 1. Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10. - indicates null or 5. 2. Further Education Provision includes General Further Education Colleges including Tertiary, Sixth Form Colleges, Special College - Agricultural and Horticultural Colleges and Art and Design Colleges, Specialist Colleges and External Institutions. 3. Information is based on 'Country of Domicile'-the country where the learner is ordinarily resident for the three years preceding the start of the programme. 4. Institutions are advised that the Country of Domicile filed should be treated as a self assessment field and should reflect the learner's normal country of residence. 5. 'Total' in Table 2 does not include learners with County of Domicile of UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man. 6. Figures include LSC-funded learners only.  Source:  FE Individualised Learner Record

Foreign Workers: Health Services

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which 20 non-EU nationalities received the most work permits for  (a) doctors and  (b) nurses in the last (i) 12 months and (ii) four quarters.

Phil Woolas: The work permit scheme closed on 26 November 2008 and was replaced by the points based system. The following table shows the number of work permits which were approved for applications from nurses and doctors from the top 20 countries, in the 12 months prior to the closure of the scheme.
	
		
			  Work permit approvals 
			2008  
			  Top  20  countries   January to December  April to June  July to September  October to December  Total 
			 India Doctor 45 55 100 50 250 
			  Nurse 855 960 915 660 3,390 
			 Philippines Doctor 0 (1)- 5 (1)- 5 
			  Nurse 320 315 450 220 1,305 
			 Zimbabwe Doctor 0 5 5 (1)- 10 
			  Nurse 315 265 345 250 1,175 
			 South Africa Doctor 35 55 55 25 170 
			  Nurse 105 130 105 70 410 
			 Nigeria Doctor 5 5 15 5 35 
			  Nurse 95 125 160 110 490 
			 Pakistan Doctor 25 20 45 15 105 
			  Nurse 55 50 60 35 200 
			 Ghana Doctor 5 5 5 (1)- 15 
			  Nurse 45 45 65 65 220 
			 China, People's Republic Doctor 20 15 50 35 120 
			  Nurse 25 25 30 20 100 
			 Australia Doctor 15 15 15 15 60 
			  Nurse 25 45 40 25 140 
			 Nepal Doctor 0 0 (1)- 0 (1)- 
			  Nurse 60 55 60 20 195 
			 Mauritius Doctor 0 0 (1)- 0 (1)- 
			  Nurse 35 35 50 35 150 
			 Sri Lanka Doctor 10 15 45 20 90 
			  Nurse 10 10 15 10 45 
			 Zambia Doctor 0 0 0 0 0 
			  Nurse 25 35 45 25 130 
			 Kenya Doctor 0 0 (1)- (1)- 5 
			  Nurse 25 35 30 25 115 
			 Jamaica Doctor 0 (1)- 0 (1)- 5 
			  Nurse 20 25 30 25 95 
			 Egypt Doctor 10 10 30 20 75 
			  Nurse 0 0 (1)- 0 (1)- 
			 Trinidad and Tobago Doctor (1)- 5 5 5 15 
			  Nurse 15 15 25 10 60 
			 New Zealand Doctor (1)- (1)- 5 5 10 
			  Nurse 15 15 15 15 60 
			 Guyana Doctor 0 0 0 0 0 
			  Nurse 15 10 30 20 70 
			 Romania Doctor (1)- 5 20 5 35 
			  Nurse (1)- 10 5 5 25 
			 Total  2,395 2,625 3,130 2,015 10,170 
			 (1) Indicates 1 or 2.   Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to nearest 5.  2. Because of rounding, figures may not add up to totals shown.  3. The figures quoted are not provided under National Statistics protocols and have been derived from local management information and are therefore provisional and subject to change.   Caveats: The figures do not equate to the number of individual nationals who were granted permits because they include those applications approved to extend or amend an existing permit or where the individual has moved to another job with a different employer. Not all those who were granted a permit took up the job and some may have been refused entry clearance or further leave to remain.

Immigration Controls

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reasons the UK Border Agency does not accept premium bonds as relevant for assessment of the cash maintenance requirement for the points-based immigration system; and what other Government funds are treated in the same way.

Phil Woolas: The published policy guidance for each tier of the points-based system makes clear that evidence to meet the maintenance requirement must be in the form of cash funds in a bank (including savings accounts and financial or government sponsorship.
	Evidence in the form of shares, bonds, pension funds etc, regardless of notice period, is not acceptable because the value of these may change and do not show that a migrant can meet the level of funding required in order to support themselves.

Immigration Controls: France

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many shifts have been worked by UK Border Agency staff on duties in Calais and Pas-de-Calais in 2009; and how much has been paid in shift allowances for carrying out such duties.

Phil Woolas: From 1 January to 31 October 2009, a total of 99,690(1) shifts were carried out by UK Border Agency staff in Calais, Coquelles, Dunkerque and Boulogne.
	In addition to basic salary costs, shift allowance costs of £1,378,521(1) were incurred.
	(1 )These figures have been sourced from locally collated management information held within locally accessed computer systems and do not represent national statistics. They have not been the subject of National Statistics protocols and verification and should therefore be treated as provisional and subject to change.

Members: Correspondence

Julian Brazier: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  when the Minister for Immigration plans to reply to the letters of 20 and 21 July 2009 from the hon. Member for Canterbury on the gap entrant visa requirements;
	(2)  when the Minister for Immigration plans to reply to the letters of 15 June and 1 September 2009 from the hon. Member for Canterbury on changes in visa requirements for academics.

Phil Woolas: I wrote to the hon. Member on 1 December 2009.

Members: Correspondence

Clare Short: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will reply to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Ladywood's letter of 28 September 2009 on the case of Yuet Chun Yeung, reference B35067/9.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 1 December 2009
	 In response to the letter of 28 September, the Deputy Director for Economic and Family Migration in London and South East Region wrote to the right hon. Member on 27 November.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he intends to reply to the letter of 12 October 2009 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Miss Aisha Din.

Alan Johnson: A reply was sent to my right hon. Friend on 26 October 2009. A copy of the reply was sent on 30 November 2009.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  when he intends to reply to the letter of 8 October 2009 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. M. Amin;
	(2)  when he intends to reply to the letter of 7 October 2009 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. Fadumo Sharif Ahmed;
	(3)  when he intends to reply to the letter of 5 October 2009 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. James Mwaguta Pondayi;
	(4)  when he intends to reply to the letter of 5 October 2009 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. Muhsin Gafur Karim;
	(5)  when he intends to reply to the letter of 5 October 2009 from the right hon. member for Manchester Gorton with regard to Mr. Farai Edgar Kwedza.

Alan Johnson: I wrote to my right hon. Friend on 30 November 2009.

Motor Vehicles: Waste Disposal

Alan Meale: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost to each police force has been of operations which resulted in the seizure and crushing of motor vehicles in each of the last four years.

David Hanson: This information is not collected centrally. The police have powers to order the removal and storage of vehicles under different provisions, whether as the result of a specific operation, observation of a relevant offence in the normal course of their duties, or to deal with a particular situation that has arisen. If such vehicles are not reclaimed, the police may dispose of them as they see fit. This can include by crushing. To meet the costs of removal and storage in individual cases, a person seeking to reclaim a vehicle has to pay prescribed charges. If the vehicle is disposed of, a sum equivalent to the charges due is retained from any proceeds of the disposal.

Motor Vehicles: Waste Disposal

Alan Meale: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many motor vehicles the police have ordered to be crushed in each police force area in each of the last four years.

David Hanson: The information requested is not collected centrally.

National DNA Database

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) men and  (b) women resident in each local authority area in the South East have their profile stored on the National DNA Database.

Alan Campbell: Information held on the National DNA Database (NDNAD) is available on the basis of the police force which added the DNA profile, not the address of the person sampled. Information is therefore not available on the number of men and women residing in each local authority area in the South East who have had a DNA profile added to the NDNAD. However, information is available on the number of profiles added by police forces.
	The following table shows the number of subject profiles for men and women held on the NDNAD by police forces in London and the South East as at 23 November 2009. The figures have been separated into males currently aged under 18 and aged 18 and over, and females currently aged under 18 and aged 18 and over. The police forces have been grouped by the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) region and a total figure has been given for each region.
	Profiles held by any one police force include people who have been sampled by that police force but are not resident within the police force area, and will exclude people who are resident in that police force area but have had their sample taken by another police force.
	The number of profiles is not the same as the number of individuals. This is because a number of subject profiles on the NDNAD are replicates, i.e. a profile for a person has been loaded to the NDNAD on more than one occasion. This may arise for a number of reasons, for example, a person giving a different name on different occasions they are arrested, or because of upgrading of profiles from the SGM to the SGM Plus profiling system. It is estimated that 13.8 per cent. of the subject profiles held on the entire NDNAD are replicates. However, this rate may vary between police forces, so figures for the number of individuals are not given for particular police forces.
	The data presented are based on a snapshot of the NDNAD as at 23 November 2009. The data are management information and have not been formally assessed for compliance with the Code of Practice for Official Statistics.
	
		
			  Number of DNA profiles held on the NDNAD for each named police force, as at 23 November 2009 
			Profiles retained 
			   Gender  Under 18  18 and over  All  a ges( 1) 
			  London Force 
			 City of London Police Female 31 3305 3,336 
			  Male 130 22,143 22,275 
			  Unassigned gender 0 27 27 
			  
			 Metropolitan Police Female 10,108 165,179 175,302 
			  Male 28,239 745,032 773,342 
			  Unassigned gender 67 2,483 2,554 
			 Total  38,575 938,169 976,836 
			  
			  South East Force 
			 Hampshire Female 3,557 33,435 36,992 
			  Male 6,935 125,447 132,386 
			  Unassigned gender 6 241 247 
			  
			 Kent Female 3,475 32,578 36,054 
			  Male 6,960 119,739 126,705 
			  Unassigned gender 20 2,016 2,036 
			  
			 Surrey Female 1,171 13,459 14,642 
			  Male 2,511 52,575 55,128 
			  Unassigned gender 1 142 143 
			  
			 Sussex Female 2,631 27,242 29,874 
			  Male 4,777 95,123 99,902 
			  Unassigned gender 3 51 54 
			  
			 Thames Valley Female 3,483 33,355 36,845 
			  Male 7,166 134,576 141,795 
			  Unassigned gender 43 735 778 
			 Total  42,739 670,714 713,581 
			 (1) Figures for 'All Ages' include profiles where age is not recorded i.e. 'unknown age'.  Source: National DNA Database, NPIA, as at 23 November 2009

Police

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance he has given to  (a) police authorities and  (b) police forces on police performance targets; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: As part of the Policing Green Paper, From the Neighbourhood to the National: Policing our Communities Together, the Home Office stated that it would neither set nor maintain top-down numerical targets for individual police forces and authorities with the exception of one-to increase public confidence that the police and local councils are dealing with anti-social behaviour and crime issues that matter locally. Each police force will be expected to increase public confidence levels (to be measured by the British Crime Survey) to achieve a 60 per cent. national average by 2012.
	In consultation with the Association of Police Authorities (APA), Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO), National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA), and Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC), we have published a narrative describing the new performance landscape for Crime and Policing. This sets out how new crime and policing performance management arrangements will work in practice and sets out the roles and responsibilities of different organisations (including police forces and authorities) within the new performance landscape. The narrative document can be found at:
	http://police.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/performance-and-measurement/Performance_Landscape_narra1.pdf

Repatriation: Cameroon

Robert Goodwill: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions there have been between the UK Government and the government of the Republic of Cameroon to facilitate the monitoring by UK High Commission staff of those returned to Cameroon from the UK.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 1 December 2009
	There have been no discussions between the UK and Cameroonian Governments to facilitate the monitoring by UK high commission staff of those returned to Cameroon from the UK.
	The UK Border Agency only enforces the return of individuals to Cameroon whom they, and the courts, are satisfied are not in need of protection, and where the individual does not elect to leave voluntarily.

Travel Requirements

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to the answer of 12 October 2009,  Official Report, column 591W, on travel requirements, how many of the 6,787 people who arrived at UK airports without documentation in the last three years were  (a) arrested,  (b) prosecuted and  (c) convicted of an offence.

Phil Woolas: The information requested can be obtained only by the detailed examination of individual case records at disproportionate cost.

UK Border Agency: Serco

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what functions SERCO is required to undertake in the UK Border Agency's Case Resolution Directorate as part of its contract; what the length of the contract is; and what performance targets apply to it.

Phil Woolas: Temporary staff are being employed to carry out administrative tasks, freeing up existing, trained, case resolution directorate (CRD) staff so they can concentrate on decision making. CRD have outsourced the administrative functions only and have therefore allowed their permanent experienced staff to focus on decision making. SERCO is required to recruit and maintain sufficient staff to complete this function and has challenging targets for quality and throughput that align to bring the SERCO element of work to conclusion before the contracted end date.
	The current contract with SERCO runs until autumn 2010, although this may be subject to review. The date of the termination of the contract with SERCO does not necessarily indicate that CRD will have concluded all the cases in the backlog within this same time frame.

Work Permits

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of the work permits granted on the basis of intra-company transfer in respect of non-EU IT contractors in each quarter of the last five years were granted in relation to Government-funded projects.

Phil Woolas: The breakdown of work permits granted on the basis of intra-company transfers in respect of non-EU IT contractors in each of the last five years, specifically relating to Government funded projects, is not centrally collected and could be obtained only at disproportionate costs.

DEFENCE

Afghanistan: Detainees

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his policy is on the release of people taken prisoner by British armed forces in Afghanistan; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: A formal review is conducted by the UK Detention Authority in Afghanistan for each individual detainee. The authority considers whether to release or transfer them to the Afghan authorities. This decision is based on whether there is sufficient admissible evidence likely to result in a successful prosecution by the Afghanistan judicial system. If there is insufficient evidence for prosecution by the Afghan Authorities, they are released.

Afghanistan: Overseas Aid

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether humanitarian work carried out by the Military Stabilisation Support Team in Helmand is counted towards the UK's 0.7 per cent. of gross domestic product.

Bob Ainsworth: holding answer 1 December 2009
	No.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects Afghan security forces to be able to provide security in Helmand.

Bob Ainsworth: The Afghan National Security Forces are already playing a key role in providing security in Afghanistan, including Helmand, as is shown by the role they played in providing security for the Afghan Presidential Election and contributing to Operation Panther's Claw. They regularly work with and operate successfully alongside international and UK troops.
	As recently emphasised by the Prime Minister, the UK will continue to work with international partners, including the Government of Afghanistan, to establish the conditions under which the Afghans can start to take responsibility for their own security.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many night vision goggles have been  (a) lost and  (b) stolen in Afghanistan in each year since 2001.

Quentin Davies: Information on lost and stolen night vision goggles in Afghanistan is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Losses are recorded by individual units but information is not aggregated centrally.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many  (a) minor injuries,  (b) serious injuries and  (c) fatalities among service personnel have been recorded by his Department in Afghanistan in each year since 2001.

Bob Ainsworth: Fatality and casualty statistics for UK military and civilian personnel in Afghanistan are routinely updated for each fortnight on the MOD website. The tables can be found at:
	www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/FactSheets/OperationsFactsheets/OperationsInAfghanistanBritishCasualties.htm

Armed Forces

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how many and what proportion of serving military personnel of each sex in  (a) the Army,  (b) the Royal Navy and  (c) the Royal Air Force have changed personal status category in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how many and what proportion of serving military personnel in  (a) the Army,  (b) the Royal Navy and  (c) the Royal Air Force there were in each personal status category in each of the last five years.

Kevan Jones: Personal marital status is recorded in order to determine entitlement to allowances and service families accommodation. These Personal Status Categories (PStat Cat) are:
	PStat Cat 1-A legally married member of the services or a member of the services who has registered a civil partnership.
	PStat Cat 2-A member of the services who has parental responsibility in terms of the Children Act for a child(ren).
	PStat Cat 3-A member of the services not in PStat Cat 1 or 2 and provides financial support to their former spouse/partner by way of a voluntary agreement.
	PStat Cat 4-A member of the services not in PStat Cat 1 or 2 and provides financial support to their former spouse/partner by way of a court order.
	PStat Cat 5-All other members of the services.
	Joint Personnel Administration has for the first time allowed service personnel to take responsibility for their own administration. All service personnel are encouraged to notify the service authorities on a change of personal circumstances that may require a change in PStat Cat. As a result the data provided in the following tables are derived from declarations that have been made by Service Personnel.
	
		
			  UK regular service personnel in each PStat Cat as at 1 October 2009 
			   Royal Navy  Army  Royal Air Force 
			  Personal status category  Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage 
			 1 15,020 39.0 42,780 39.1 21,170 48.1 
			 2 310 0.8 1,090 1.0 700 1.6 
			 3 1,260 3.3 3,840 3.5 1,490 3.4 
			 4 120 0.3 330 0.3 80 0.2 
			 5 21,690 56.4 60,780 55.8 20,490 46.6 
			 No category recorded 50 0.1 90 0.1 10 0.0 
		
	
	
		
			  UK regular service personnel in each PStat Cat as at 1 October 2008 
			   Royal Navy  Army  Royal Air Force 
			  Personal status category  Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage 
			 1 15,270 40.0 42,160 40.2 21,530 50.1 
			 2 280 0.7 990 0.9 700 1.6 
			 3 1,260 3.3 3,580 3.4 1,530 3.6 
			 4 120 0.3 360 0.3 80 0.2 
			 5 21,170 55.4 57,580 54.9 19,150 44.5 
			 No category recorded 80 0.2 290 0.3 30 0.0 
		
	
	
		
			  UK regular service personnel in each PStat Cat as at 1 October 2007 
			   Royal Navy  Army  Royal Air Force 
			  Personal status category  Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage 
			 1 15,780 40.8 43,100 40.8 22,720 51.5 
			 2 270 0.7 970 0.9 680 1.5 
			 3 1,320 3.4 3,620 3.4 1,570 3.6 
			 4 120 0.3 390 0.4 90 0.2 
			 5 20,920 54.3 57,580 54.4 18,750 42.5 
			 No category recorded 140 0.4 220 0.2 260 0.6 
		
	
	The following tables show the numbers of UK Regular Service Personnel who are recorded as having a different PStat Cat at the end of the reporting period compared to the start. Any changes between these dates that involve a change from one PSat Cat to another and then reversion back to the former, for example PCat Stat 1 to 3 and then back to 1, is not included.
	
		
			  Period: 1 October 2008 to 30 September 2009 
			   Male  Female  Total 
			   Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage 
			 Royal Navy 1,540 4.9 230 7.4 1,770 5.0 
			 Army 6,400 6.9 900 12.0 7,300 7.3 
			 Royal Air Force 2,180 6.3 560 10.6 2,740 6.9 
		
	
	
		
			  Period: 1 October 2007 to 30 September 2008 
			   Male  Female  Total 
			   Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage 
			 Royal Navy 1,300 4.1 210 6.3 1,500 4.3 
			 Army 5,450 6.0 750 10.2 6,200 6.3 
			 Royal Air Force 1,700 4.9 400 7.6 2,100 5.2 
		
	
	Prior to the introduction of JPA, Personal Status (Marital) Category was not recorded in the same way. Data relating to the marital status, and changes to that status, of service personnel prior to the phased implementation were stored on legacy systems. This information would require a manual search of records and therefore could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Armed Forces: Allergies

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of the armed forces with nut allergies  (a) are serving on operations and  (b) have served on operations in the last five years.

Kevan Jones: I refer the hon. Member to the written answers I gave to him on 26 November 2009,  Official Report, columns 288W-89W.
	Where the responsible Medical Officer determines that a member of the armed forces suffers from a nut allergy with a significant risk of anaphylaxis, the member will not be deployed. The total number of individuals with declared nut allergies in the armed forces, presently and historically, whether deployed or otherwise, is not held centrally. It could only be obtained by examining the medical records of all personnel, which could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Armed Forces: Casualties

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many military personnel  (a) received serious injuries and  (b) had limbs amputated in each of the last five years.

Kevan Jones: The MOD is committed to publishing casualty statistics on the number of service personnel wounded on operations. Information on serious casualties sustained since January 2003 (Iraq) and January 2001 (Afghanistan) is available on the MOD website via the following link:
	http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/FactSheets/OperationsFactsheets
	These statistics are updated fortnightly online.
	For amputee numbers, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 11 November 2009 , Official Report, column 7MC, to the hon. Member for Castle Point (Bob Spink).

Armed Forces: Theft

Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what sentences were given to servicemen found guilty of theft of armed forces equipment in each of the last 10 years;
	(2)  how many members of the armed forces were convicted of stealing Ministry of Defence equipment in each of the last five years; and what sentences have been handed down in respect of such convictions in each year.

Bob Ainsworth: holding answer s 24 and 30 November 2009
	Information from the three services' and Ministry of Defence police's databases for thefts of Ministry of Defence equipment is provided in the following list. Each line reflects one offence and its corresponding punishment.
	The information provided pertains solely to thefts of MOD equipment and does not include those cases where the item stolen was not identified.
	Information in the years before 2004 is not comprehensive as records relating to the RAF personnel could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	 1999: 15 guilty/proven verdicts
	Police Caution
	Fined £100
	Dismissal and 60 days detention
	Fined £1,200
	Fined £250
	112 days detention and pay suspended to the amount of £1,500
	Dismissal and eight months and 26 days detention
	Dismissal and pay suspended to the amount of £239.07
	Fined £500
	Reduced in rank
	140 days detention and pay suspended to the amount of £212.17
	14 days Restriction of privileges
	Dismissal and reduced in rank
	82 days detention and pay suspended to the amount of £32.61
	14 days restriction of privileges
	 2000: 11 guilty charges
	12 months probation and 100 hours community service, £55 costs and disqualified from driving for 12 months
	Fined £400 and internal disciplinary action taken
	60 hours community rehabilitation over 18 months and £250 costs
	Dismissal and 165 days detention, pay suspended to the amount of £1,075 and reduced in rank
	Fined £160
	112 days detention
	140 days detention and pay suspended to the amount of £1500
	Nine months detention and £1,000 compensation
	112 days detention and pay suspended to the amount of £383.94
	Dismissal
	Six months and 24 days detention and pay suspended to the amount of £140
	 2001: 17 guilty charges
	Six months imprisonment
	59 days detention and reduced in rank
	28 days detention
	Fined £750
	Fined £600
	Fined £350
	Severe reprimand-mitigated by the Appropriate Review Authority to admonishment
	Dismissal and 135 days detention
	Seven months detention and pay suspended to the amount of £1,427.17
	Six months detention
	Dismissal and six months detention
	Fined £500
	Fined £500
	Dismissal, 165 days detention and reduced in rank
	Dismissal
	82 days detention and reduced in rank
	Reduced in rank and pay suspended to the amount of £2,000
	 2002: 15 guilty/proven verdicts
	Fined £1,050 and pay suspended to the amount of £12.66
	14 days extra work and drills
	140 days detention and pay suspended to the amount of £1,250
	112 days detention
	Six months detention
	180 days detention
	42 days detention and pay suspended to the amount of £106.50
	Fined £1,000, severe reprimand, and pays suspended to the amount of £6,043.08
	Fined £500
	112 days detention
	Fined £1,000 and pay suspended to the amount of £1,000
	Fined £500
	Reduced in rank
	Dismissal, 122 days detention and pay suspended to the amount of £100
	Fined £650
	 2003: 22 guilty/proven verdicts
	Dismissal and 42 days detention and pay suspended for 318 days
	Fined £300
	Dismissal and 80 days detention and pay suspended to the amount of £158.15
	Dismissal and three months detention
	Dismissal and 66 days detention
	Six months forfeiture of seniority and reprimand
	Admonished
	Fined £50 and pay suspended to the amount of £200
	Fined £750
	Admonished
	Pay suspended to the amount of £2,830.08
	Dismissal and two years detention and reduced in rank
	56 days detention
	112 days detention
	Fined £450
	Fined £750
	28 days detention
	42 days detention
	Reduced in rank
	Fined £650
	Fined £650
	Reduced in rank
	 2004: 13 guilty/proven verdicts
	Fine of £1,200
	28 days detention and paid stopped to the amount of £373.22
	Reduced in rank
	Fined £500
	28 days detention and reduced in rank
	26 days detention and reduced in rank
	140 days detention
	Reduced in rank and fined £4,000
	28 days detention and compensation of £3,000 paid
	Fined £250
	Dismissal
	Police caution
	Police caution
	 2005: 15 guilty/proven verdicts
	Dismissal and six months detention
	Dismissal and 84 days detention
	11 months detention and reduced in rank
	Dismissal, one year detention suspended and reduced in rank
	Dismissal, imprisoned six months and reduced in rank
	Fine £300
	42 days detention
	28 days detention
	Pay suspended to the amount of £1,000
	84 days detention and pay suspended to the amount of £160
	Dismissal and three months detention
	Police caution
	Seven years and six months imprisonment
	12 months community order, 80 hours community service and £1,105.52 paid in compensation.
	Fined £400
	 2006: 32 guilty/proven verdicts
	56 days detention
	Dismissal, imprisoned five years and 252 days and reduced in rank
	112 days detention and pay suspended to the amount of £500
	Pay suspended to the amount of £1,200
	Dismissal and imprisoned for four years and 339 days
	Dismissal and six months detention
	84 days detention
	Reduced in rank
	Reduced in rank
	Reduced in rank
	Reduced in rank
	Dismissal
	Dismissal and 18 months detention
	112 days detention
	Dismissal and five years and four months imprisonment
	Dismissal and five years and eight months imprisonment and reduced in rank
	Dismissal and five years imprisonment
	Fined £1,500
	Six months detention, suspended for one year and reduced in rank
	Fined £300
	Fined £1,000, pay suspended to the amount of £1,500
	Dismissal, eight years imprisonment and reduced in rank
	Fined £1,000
	Dismissal
	Fined £504, five days extra work and pay stopped for 30 days
	120 days detention
	56 days detention
	Police caution
	Final warning
	12 months imprisonment
	Fined £490
	Fined £650
	 2007: 33 guilty/proven verdicts
	Fined £500
	Reduced in rank
	Fined £400
	Admonished
	Dismissal, 11 months and one day detention and reduced in rank
	Admonished
	Dismissal and Imprisoned for seven years and five months
	Six months detention
	88 days detention and reduced in rank
	88 days detention
	Fined £3,000 and reduced in rank
	Fined £650
	Fined £1,000 and pay suspended to the amount of £650
	Dismissal and 18 months detention
	Dismissal and nine years and 174 days imprisonment
	Dismissal and nine years and 263 days imprisonment
	Fined £1,800 and reduced in rank
	One day detention
	Dismissal and 30 days detention
	150 days detention and pay topped to the amount of £424
	Dismissal, 90 days detention and reduced in rank
	105 days detention and fined £2,000
	Dismissal and 140 days detention
	Reprimand, fined £250 and pay suspended to the amount of £639.29
	Fined £563 and 14 days extra work
	Fined £100
	42 days detention
	42 days detention
	Dismissal and six months detention
	150 days detention
	Three years and six months imprisonment
	Three years and six months imprisonment
	Two years and six months imprisonment
	 2008: 32 guilty/proven verdicts
	Dismissal, fined £1,000 and pay suspended to the amount of £41.51
	Admonished
	120 days detention and reduced in rank
	60 days detention
	Dismissal, 12 months detention and reduced in rank
	Fined £75
	Reduced in rank and pay suspended to the amount of £62.21
	Reduced in rank and pay suspended to the amounts of £575.70 and £93.99
	Dismissal and seven months and 16 days detention
	120 days detention, suspended for one year and reduced in rank
	Dismissal, 150 days dismissal and reduced in rank
	90 days detention and reduced in rank
	28 days detention and compensation of £750 paid
	Dismissal, 15 years imprisonment and reduced in rank
	Fined £750
	Dismissal and 109 days detention
	Dismissal and five years and six months imprisonment
	Nine months detention
	Six months detention and reduced in rank
	Police caution
	Police caution
	Police caution
	Police caution
	Police caution
	12 months imprisonment
	12 months imprisonment
	16 weeks imprisonment, suspended for 12 months
	200 hours community order
	Fined £500, £400 costs and £15 victim surcharge
	52 weeks imprisonment suspended for two years, 250 hours unpaid work within 12 months
	26 weeks imprisonment suspended for two years, 250 hours unpaid work within 12 months
	12 weeks imprisonment suspended over two years, 250 hours community service and £1,000 costs

Caparo Group

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department holds contracts with any of the companies forming part of the Caparo Group.

Bob Ainsworth: The MOD holds a number of contracts with the Caparo Group, primarily for spare parts for military vehicles.

Defence Medical Services: Manpower

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of the Defence Medical Services Manning Statistics from  (a) April and  (b) October 2009.

Kevan Jones: Data relating to manning across the Defence Medical Services (DMS) are assembled twice a year, in April and October, for internal management purposes. I agreed on 26 October 2009,  Official Report, column 30W, to provide the hon. Member with a breakdown of the October 2009 figures. This work should be completed shortly. A similarly detailed breakdown for last April could be provided only at disproportionate cost. I have decided that in future DMS manning statistics will be published on an annual basis, with effect from 2010, based on data held as at 1 April. Future reports will show the required manning level of the DMS, the additional requirement for a manning and training margin, and the total number of personnel, split between the trained strength and those in training. I will arrange annually for this information to be published on the MOD website and for a copy to be placed in the Library of the House.

Departmental Consultants

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many external consultants work for his Department.

Kevan Jones: Specific data on the number of consultants employed by the Ministry of Defence are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	MOD expenditure on external assistance, which includes management and other types of consultancy, has been reported to Parliament since 1995-96. Summaries are available in the Library of the House.
	Furthermore, information on organisations, including consultancy firms, paid £5 million or more by the MOD in each financial year is published in the UK Defence Statistics. Copies are placed in the Library of the House.

Departmental Information Officers

Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much was claimed in reimbursable expenses by press officers in his Department in 2008-09.

Bob Ainsworth: 35 press officers are currently employed by the central MOD media and communications unit and the Regional Defence Press Officer Network. From 1 January to 23 November 2009 they were reimbursed a total of £40,321 for travel and subsistence costs incurred in the conduct of official duty, mainly providing media support to service personnel, officials, chiefs and Ministers.
	Costs are principally incurred in terms of vehicle fuel, public transport, car hire, and subsistence (accommodation and meals, including that required while training for deployment overseas) while on duty away from the workplace in the UK and overseas. The majority of the costs (£24,158) were incurred by the eight regional Defence press officers whose work routinely requires them to travel across the length and breadth of the UK.
	Currently, there are 110 press officers employed across the Ministry of Defence (as recorded in the Central Office of Information's White Book). 35 work within the MOD's main press office and the remaining 75 (those other civilian and military staff with a clear media and communications role) are principally distributed in support of the armed forces' frontline commands, in overseas headquarters such as in Germany and Cyprus, and in the permanent joint headquarters in support of current operations. Figures for the remaining 75 and for those who have left the Department during this period are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Information Officers

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many full-time equivalent press officers  (a) are employed by and  (b) work for his Department.

Kevan Jones: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 20 October 2009,  Official Report, column 1364W to the hon. Member for Dunfermline and West Fife (Willie Rennie).

Ex-servicemen

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent meetings he has had with groups representing armed forces veterans.

Bob Ainsworth: I regularly meet with veterans and groups representing them, most recently on 7 and 8 November 2009 during Remembrance weekend.
	I also met with veterans and groups representing them on 25 October 2009 at Westminster Abbey; at the Parliamentary Reception for Veterans and Cadets from Enfield North on 3 March 2009; and with veterans from the Leyland, Lancashire and Warrington constituencies on 17 July 2009.
	My hon. Friend the Minister for Veterans, also regularly meets with veterans and groups representing them.

Iraq and Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many servicemen on service in  (a) Iraq and  (b) Afghanistan sustained (i) injuries to, (ii) partial loss of and (iii) complete loss of their genitalia in each year since 2003.

Kevan Jones: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for North-East Milton Keynes (Mr. Lancaster) on 25 November 2009,  Official Report, column 152W.

Joint Rapid Reaction Force

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which unit forms the Spearhead Land Element (SLE); whether it is presently fully equipped; whether the present SLE is deployed; and when the future SLE will take over from the present SLE.

Bill Rammell: The Royal Highland Fusiliers, 2nd Battalion the Royal Regiment of Scotland forms the Spearhead Land Element (SLE), which is not currently deployed. The SLE is fully equipped in accordance with the Joint Rapid Reaction Force Directive and operational mounting instructions. The next SLE will be provided by 1 R IRISH, who will assume this role from 14 December 2009.

Joint Rapid Reaction Force

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which unit forms the Small Scale Contingent Battle Group; whether it is presently fully equipped; whether the present group is deployed; and when the future Small Scale Contingent Battle Group will take over from the current group.

Bill Rammell: 42 Commando, Royal Marines, forms the Small Scale Contingent Battle Group (SSCBG), which is not currently deployed. The SSCBG is equipped according to their readiness state. The SSCBG will, on current plans, be replaced by the Lead Commando Group (from 3 Commando Brigade) and the Air Assault Task Force (from 16 Air Assault Brigade) by 31 December 2011.

Military Aid: Training

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department has spent on the provision of defence training in  (a) Afghanistan,  (b) Belarus,  (c) Burma,  (d) China,  (e) Colombia,  (f) Cuba,  (g) the Democratic Republic of Congo,  (h) the Democratic People's Republic of Korea,  (i) Iran,  (j) Iraq,  (k) Israel,  (l) Palestine,  (m) Pakistan,  (n) Russia,  (o) Saudi Arabia,  (p) Somalia,  (q) Sudan,  (r) Syria,  (s) Turkmenistan,  (t) Uzbekistan,  (u) Vietnam and  (v) Libya in each year since 2003; what training activities were provided; and which (i) provider and (ii) recipient organisation participated in each activity.

Bill Rammell: A key principle of UK Security Cooperation is to use MOD assets in peacetime to prevent conflict abroad, build and maintain trust between states and assist in the development of democratically accountable armed forces; thereby helping to make a significant contribution to conflict prevention and resolution in line with commitment to Public Service Agreement 30 (Conflict Prevention). I am withholding the detailed information requested as its disclosure would or would be likely to prejudice relations between the United Kingdom and another state.

Military Aircraft: Helicopters

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many  (a) Army,  (b) Royal Air Force and  (c) Royal Navy helicopters are based in the United Kingdom.

Quentin Davies: The total number of Army, Royal Air Force (RAF) and Royal Navy helicopters based in the UK (as at 31 October 2009) is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Service  Total number of UK based helicopters 
			 Army 182 
			 RAF 167 
			 Navy 128 
		
	
	These are used for training as well as search and rescue.
	A proportion of the Army, Navy and RAF manned United Kingdom based helicopter fleet are currently deployed outside of the UK on expeditionary operations. Contractor owned fleets are not shown.

Military Bases: Northern Ireland

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps his Department is taking to increase the level of security at military bases in Northern Ireland.

Bill Rammell: The security of all military bases within the United Kingdom and overseas is kept under constant review. In Northern Ireland, the Northern Ireland Security Guard Service has recently been trained on and equipped with long barrelled weapons. Security infrastructure improvements have also been made to all barracks in order to match current threat assessments. I am withholding specific details of the measures taken as their disclosure would be likely to prejudice the security, capability and effectiveness of the armed forces.

Peacekeeping Operations: Females

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what advice his Department gives to British troops in theatre on their responsibilities to bear down on actions that would increase the risk of violence against women.

Bob Ainsworth: ISAF forces in Afghanistan continue to work hard, in conjunction with the Afghan National Security Forces, to afford all Afghan nationals, both men, women and children, a safe and secure environment in which to go about their daily lives.
	Afghan cultural awareness training is provided to all UK personnel deploying to Afghanistan which includes cultural differences when interacting with Afghan women. UK personnel operate at all times under rules of engagement which ensure that force is used in accordance with international humanitarian law. This ensures that civilian casualties and damage to civilian infrastructure are minimised.

Rescue Services: Procurement

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to  (a) conclude negotiations and  (b) award contracts for the provision of search and rescue services from 2012 onwards.

Bill Rammell: The competition to bring together the Search and Rescue helicopter capability currently provided by the Ministry of Defence and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency into one harmonised service continues. Negotiations will be completed and the contract placed at an appropriate point following DFT and MOD Ministerial approval. This is expected to be in good time to allow the service to commence in 2012.

Supply Estimates

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reasons £100 million has been transferred from Capital Resource to Direct Resource within RfR 1 in his Department's Winter Supplementary Estimates.

Bob Ainsworth: The Departmental Plan assumed a total transfer of £700 million from SUME Capital to Direct Resource. However, in the 2009-10 Main Estimate we deemed that it would be prudent to switch only £600 million until the departmental forecast had sufficiently matured in year. Our 2009-10 Main Estimates Memoranda (paragraph 3.1) pointed out that a further transfer from SUME Capital to Direct Resource might be made in the Supplementary round. The resource transfer has been allocated to the Defence Equipment and Support TLB.

Trident Missiles

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence in which countries the  (a) arming, fusing and firing system components,  (b) neutron generators and  (c) gas reservoirs of Trident nuclear warheads are manufactured; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: As the 2006 white paper (Cm6994) makes clear (paragraph 7-3) certain non-nuclear components of the existing warhead are procured from the US on cost-effectiveness grounds. These non-nuclear components include the arming, fuzing and firing system, neutron initiators and gas transfer system.

Uranium

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to his Department's recent review of the Enriched Uranium Project at the Atomic Weapons Establishment, for what reasons it was decided not to  (a) use existing equipment in the A90 facility for Enriched Uranium work and  (b) install equipment for Enriched Uranium work in the A90 facility.

Quentin Davies: Neither of these options are practicable.
	The existing equipment in the A90 facility is unsuitable for use in Enriched Uranium handling. Building A90 is not large enough to enable the installation of dedicated equipment for undertaking such work.

CHILDREN, SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES

Biofuels: Boilers

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what information his Department holds on  (a) the number of biomass boilers installed in schools and  (b) the reliability and efficacy of such boilers.

Vernon Coaker: The Department does not have a comprehensive record of installed biomass boilers and does not collect or hold information on their performance.
	We do however know when they are planned within the Building Schools for the Future and Academies School Building programmes where we provide funding.
	The Department is providing additional funding for energy efficiency and renewable energy measures in more than 200 schools in Building Schools for the Future and the Academies programme. This funding is designed to enable newly constructed schools to meet a carbon emissions reduction of 60 per cent. relative to the energy efficiency standards in 2002 building regulations. Of the 79 new schools for which we have detailed information on the measures they will be using, 68 are planning to use biomass. Two of these propose to include biomass combined heat and power (CHP) plants, and one proposes a combination of biomass and a ground source heat pump.

Children: Carers

Chloe Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families in how many households in Norwich North constituency a child under the age of 18 years fulfils the role of a carer for a disabled parent.

Dawn Primarolo: Precise local and national data on the number of children under the age of 18 years caring for a disabled parent are not collected centrally.

Children: Grants

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the objectives of the Home Access grant for children are; what the  (a) average and  (b) maximum amount disbursed to each student will be; how many students he expects to receive the grant in each year of its operation; what may be purchased with monies from the grant; what the unit cost of each model of laptop from the chosen suppliers is; and whether the home access package will include free broadband.

Diana Johnson: Objectives of the home access grant: the home access programme will support those low-income families that need Government intervention to obtain a computer and connectivity as well as benefit parents and learners; it will do this through three targeted approaches:
	a. reducing the barriers of cost for families with low incomes
	b. maximising the benefits of home access for families who are eligible for a grant
	c. increasing the perceived value of home access by parents who are eligible for a grant.
	Specifically, the home access grant will provide financial assistance to address the first of these. In the national roll-out of the programme there will be one grant per household.
	The average amount  (a) disbursed to each family through the grant is forecast to be around £500, with the maximum amount  (b) (excluding assistive technology add-ons) being £528 for the full package. Where a full package is not required, the grants will be for £400 for the device with on board software and support only; or £180 for one year's broadband internet connectivity only.
	270,000 families are expected to benefit by March 2011, which equates to over 500,000 students in these eligible households. This breaks down to around 30,000 students in calendar year 2009, including the pilot, and the remaining 470,000 in 2010.
	The monies from the grant will enable parents to purchase a choice of equipment using one of six approved suppliers. All packages can include broadband connectivity if this is needed.

Children: Missing Persons

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what progress his Department is making in the implementation of the European telephone number for missing children; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Lucas: I have been asked to reply.
	In the UK the establishment of a system of pan-European, harmonised numbers for services of social value, including the 116000 Missing Children helpline, is being overseen by the independent regulator for communications, Ofcom, together with the Government's Contact Council. On 28 October Ofcom confirmed the selection of organisations which would run the first three numbers to be rolled out in the UK, including the appointment of the Missing People charity to run the Missing Children line. Missing People is now finalising the arrangements through which it will work with a communications provider to deliver on this helpline and is looking to launch the 116000 number to be run, in parallel with Missing People's existing helpline numbers, in the next financial year.

Departmental Buildings

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many residential properties his Department owns; and how many  (a) are occupied and  (b) have been empty for more than six months.

Diana Johnson: The Department for Children, Schools and Families has no residential properties to report on.

Departmental Consultants

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many external consultants work for his Department.

Diana Johnson: In keeping with good procurement practice most consultancy engagements placed by DCSF are based on a requirement for the delivery of outcomes or outputs, and not for the number of people employed. Our management information system reflects this and records the numbers and values of contracts or engagements, rather than individual consultants. We are, therefore, unable to answer the question in the way it has been asked.

Departmental Contracts

Don Touhig: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what criteria his Department uses in determining the award of contracts; and how much his Department and its predecessors spent on the advertisement of tenders for Government contracts since 1997.

Diana Johnson: The Department evaluates most contracts on a best value for money basis taking into account whole life costs. On rare occasions we use lowest price.
	Information on the amount spent on advertising tenders since 1997 could be provided only at disproportionate costs.

Departmental Cost Effectiveness

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what efficiency savings projects his Department put in place under the Operational Efficiency Programme; on what date each such project was initiated; how much each such project was expected to contribute to departmental savings; how much had been saved through each such project on the latest date for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Diana Johnson: The Department has already been very actively involved in working towards savings in these areas.
	One project put in place since the announcement is the Total Place initiative. This is exploring ways of securing better services through whole area efficiencies. 13 pilot projects are operating linked to particular themes and DCSF officials have been supporting workshop and other activity associated with those projects concerned with services to children and young people. The work is ongoing and final recommendations are expected to inform the 2010 Budget.
	Many of the projects announced by the Operational Efficiency programme (OEP) were already built into the CSR07 VfM programme and Department's 2010-11 settlement. For instance, the Better Use of Resources in Schools initiative includes making available a schools financial benchmarking site which enables schools to compare their patterns of expenditure with schools operating in similar circumstances and identify where resources might be reallocated plus free VfM consultancy, tailored to the needs of the school to help them identify where savings can be made on, for example, collaborative procurement.
	Additional OEP projects are still in their early stages of development and because of the nature of OEP in changing the structure and strategy of delivery, have longer time frames for delivery; many of the projects in question will come to fruition within the next spending review.
	Achievement towards the DCSF £5.14 billion target, including elements relating to OEP, will be reported when data are available over the coming years in both the autumn performance reports and the departmental annual reports each year.

Educational Attainment: Children in Care

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  how many children in care sat A-level examinations, excluding equivalents, in the latest year for which figures are available;
	(2)  how many pupils who were children in care obtained five GCSEs at grades A* to C in the last three years.

Iain Wright: The Department does not collect information on A-level examination attempts and achievements for looked-after children.
	Figures showing the attempts and achievements of children who have been looked after continuously for 12 months at GCSE level in the last three years can be found in table C of the Statistical First Release Outcome Indicators for Children Looked After, Twelve months to 30 September 2008 - England. This is available at:
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000842/index.shtml
	The collection for the year ending 30 September 2009 will be the final year that the OC2 return will be used to collect this data. From next year, a new data source using data matched from the children looked after database (collected via the SSDA903 return) and the national pupil database will be used. A 'Bridging Series' publication outlining the move to this new data source will be published at 9.30 on 25 November at:
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/STR/d000894/index.shtml

Faith Schools: Islam

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  what all-Muslim girls' boarding schools there are in England; and how many pupils attend each one;
	(2)  how many  (a) boys' and  (b) mixed-sex Muslim boarding schools there are; and how many pupils attend each.

Diana Johnson: The information requested is as follows:
	
		
			  List by number of pupils all Muslim girls boarding schools in England 
			  Local Authority Name  School Name  Total pupils  Total girls  Total boys 
			 Bradford Jaamiatul Imaam Muhammad Zakaria 496 496 0 
			 Nottingham * Jamia Al-Hudaa Residential College 296 256 40 
			 Lancashire Jamea Al Kauthar 410 410 0 
		
	
	
		
			  List by number of pupils all (a) boys and (b) mixed sex Muslim Boarding Schools in England 
			  (a) All Boys Schools 
			  Local Authority Name  School Name  Total Pupils  Total Girls  Total Boys 
			 Bromley Darul Uloom London 146 0 146 
			 Bury Darul Uloom Al Arabiya Al Islamiya 342 0 342 
			 Kirklees Institute of Islamic Education 307 0 307 
			 Worcestershire Madinatul Uloom Al Islamiya School 237 0 237 
			 Leicester Darul Uloom Leicester 107 0 107 
			 Nottinghamshire Al Karam Secondary School 107 0 107 
			 Bolton Al Jamiah Al Islamiyyah 221 0 221 
			 Leicestershire Jamia Islamia (Islamic Studies Centre) 59 0 59 
			 Blackburn with Darwen Jamiatul-llm Wal-Huda UK School 410 0 410 
			 Bradford Darul Uloom Dawatul Imaan 128 0 128 
			 Sheffield (*) Jamia Al Hudaa 87 10 77 
			 Walsall Abu Bakr Boys School 107 0 107 
			  
			  (b) Mixed Sex School 
			 Blackburn with Darwen Markazul Uloom 218 87 131

Further Education: Finance

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families when he expects to establish the mechanism for applying for capital project support funding for sixth form colleges through the Learning and Skills Council; and if he will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: Pursuant to the answer of 21 July 2009,  Official Report, column 1403W, I restate that we have made our intention clear to bring sixth-form colleges within the scope of the Building Schools for the Future programme. That remains our position. We will make the details clear as soon as we are able.
	My officials are working with the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) and Partnerships for Schools to establish the arrangements. They will be up and running to be used for any new expenditure from April 2011. The only projects that the LSC is currently approving are those which colleges fund themselves.

Schools: Biometrics

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many schools use biometric data collected from their students; and if he will make a statement.

Diana Johnson: The Department does not collect the information requested.

Schools: Finance

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  what measures are in place to encourage schools to use their allocation of devolved capital in the Devolved Financial Management to Schools Scheme;
	(2)  how many  (a) schools and  (b) schools in Coventry used all their allocation from the Devolved Financial Management to Schools Scheme in academic year 2008-09;
	(3)  what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Devolved Financial Management to Schools Scheme;
	(4)  what guidelines have been issued to schools on the use of devolved capital by them under the Devolved Financial Management to Schools Scheme.

Vernon Coaker: Schools are required to use their allocation of Devolved Formula Capital (DFC) within a period of three years and five months, the year of allocation counting as year one. In a few cases, allocations may be accumulated for a longer period for specific projects. Where expenditure does not take place within this period, funds are liable to reclaim.
	Records of individual school spend are kept at local authority level. Accordingly, no record is maintained centrally of how many  (a) schools and  (b) schools in Coventry have used all their DFC allocation relating to the academic year 2008-09.
	No formal assessment has been carried out on the effectiveness of the DFC programme. The funding is intended to enable schools to meet their own priorities.
	Guidelines to schools on the use of DFC, including a technical note, have been published on Teachernet. The weblink is
	http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/management/resourcesfinanceandbuilding/capitalinvestment/guidanceindex/devolvedformulacapital

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Afghanistan: Overseas Aid

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of his Department's aid to Afghanistan in the last 18 months; and if he will make a statement.

Douglas Alexander: The Department for International Development's (DFID's) latest Afghanistan Country Programme Evaluation was published in May 2009 and is available on the DFID website:
	http://www.dfid.gov.uk/Where-we-work/Asia-South/Afghanistan/

Caparo Group

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what meetings  (a) he,  (b) other Ministers and  (c) officials in his Department have had with Angad Paul in each of the last three years.

Douglas Alexander: This information is not held centrally by the Department for International Development (DFID). Compiling this information would incur disproportionate costs.

Departmental Consultants

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many external consultants work for his Department.

Douglas Alexander: The Department for International Development (DFID) enters into contractual arrangements with supplier organisations to deliver consultancy services. The number of individual consultants involved in each contract is not recorded centrally and would incur disproportionate cost to collate.

Departmental Domestic Visits

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development on how many occasions he visited  (a) Scotland,  (b) Wales and  (c) Northern Ireland in an official capacity in the last 12 months.

Douglas Alexander: The Department for International Development has joint headquarters in Scotland and London. I have travelled to Scotland in an official capacity nine times and to Wales once in the last 12 months.

Departmental Information Officers

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many full-time equivalent press officers  (a) are employed by and  (b) work for his Department.

Douglas Alexander: The White Book, published by the Central Office of Information (COI) every six months, contains details of the Department for International Development's (DFID) press team.

Departmental Travel

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development on what date he last travelled by  (a) bus and  (b) taxi in the course of his official duties.

Douglas Alexander: I last travelled by taxi on 6 November 2009 during a regional visit.

Developing Countries: Education

Natascha Engel: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking to tackle barriers to education faced by adolescent girls in developing countries, with particular reference to parental expenditure on education for female children and prioritisation of education over early marriage.

Michael Foster: The Department for International Development (DFID) is committed to achieving the education millennium development goals of universal primary education and gender parity in education by 2015 and is spending at least £8.5 billion over the period 2006-15 in support of education in poor and developing countries. DFID regards supporting girls' education as a priority.
	DFID's Strategy for Girls' Education published in 2005 highlighted that costs of education was a major barrier for the attendance of girls from the poorest families and we are taking steps to address this barrier. For example, in Yemen, DFID has committed £20 million to a multi-donor Secondary Education and Girls Access Programme (DEDGAP) which includes a number of measures such as stipends to increase the participation of girls in secondary schools. In Nigeria, DFID funds UNICEF to implement the Girls Education Project in selected Northern Nigerian states. This project has already increased girls' enrolment by 15 per cent. and includes advocacy and community mobilisation initiatives which are vital to tackle the wider social and cultural causes of girls' lack of progression through schooling, such as early marriage.

Developing Countries: Health Services

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department takes to facilitate pharmaceutical companies assisting in the development of  (a) HIV/AIDS,  (b) tuberculosis,  (c) malaria,  (d) maternity and  (e) other health programmes in developing countries.

Michael Foster: The Department for International Development (DFID) is engaged in a number of activities which facilitate pharmaceutical company involvement in a range of health programmes in developing countries. DFID;
	supports the Global Alliance to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis (GAELF) to which GlaxoSmithKline plc also contribute.
	works with the William J. Clinton Foundation which helps manufacturers, mainly in India, to improve production processes of antiretrovirals for treatment of HIV/AIDS and antimalarial combination drugs.
	supports public-private partnerships for the development of new vaccines, diagnostics and drugs to combat HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and other neglected tropical diseases.
	works with Sun Pharmaceuticals in India, through the Concept Foundation, to bring to market a drug combination for safe medical abortion at low cost in developing countries.
	has recently launched the Industry Government Forum on Access to Medicines (IGFAM) which aims to facilitate a structured dialogue with industry and other stakeholders as to how industry policies could better promote access to medicines in developing countries.

Developing Countries: HIV Infection

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking to combat the spread of HIV-TB co-infection in developing countries.

Michael Foster: Achieving Universal Access, the UK's strategy for halting and reversing the spread of HIV in the developing world, published in June 2008, acknowledges the need for stronger integration between HIV and TB services. It recognises that investment in well functioning, comprehensive, sustainable and robust health systems and services is the way to address the interaction between HIV and other diseases. The strategy included a commitment to spend £6 billion to strengthen health systems and services including:
	to improve rates of TB diagnosis among people living with AIDS-and HIV diagnosis among people with TB.
	In addition the UK Government have made:
	a long term commitment of £1 billion (2007 to 2015) to the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, which also works to promote the linkages and interaction between AIDS, TB and malaria.
	a 20-year, £790 million commitment, subject to performance, to the international drugs purchase facility UNITAID (2006 to 2026), which is helping to increase access to and affordability of HIV and TB drugs and diagnostics.
	The Department for International Development (DFID) is also working with international partners to support countries to reach health worker targets. This will help build the capacity of health systems to manage HIV and TB co-infection issues.

Developing Countries: HIV Infection

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking to increase levels of access to antiretroviral treatments in developing countries.

Michael Foster: Since Gleneagles in 2005, the UK has led the push for Universal Access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support and has committed to spend £6 billion on health systems and services up to 2015. The Department for International Development (DFID) is also committed to working with others to reduce drug prices and increase access to more affordable and sustainable treatment over the long term. This could yield cost efficiency savings of at least £50 million per annum, enough to fund medicines for an additional 1 million people every year.
	In 2007 DFID made an unprecedented long term commitment of up to £1 billion to 2015 to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS TB and Malaria (GFATM), one of the key providers of AIDS drugs. We are also contributing £790 million over 20 years, subject to performance, to UNITAID, the International Drug Purchase Facility. UNITAID helps increase access to treatment by lowering the price of quality drugs and diagnostics, and by increasing the pace at which they are made available.
	We continue to lobby our partners to live up to their commitments as well.

Developing Countries: Infant Mortality

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his most recent estimate is of the number and proportion of infants in each developing country who die of preventable causes before their fifth birthday.

Michael Foster: The most recent UN estimates of the number of infants who died from preventable causes before reaching the age of five were published in The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) State of the World's Children 2009 report. The full report can be accessed via the UNICEF website. This report estimated that 9.2 million children under five died of preventable causes in 2007. The main causes of these deaths were as follows;
	Sepsis/pneumonia (26 per cent.)
	Tetanus (7 per cent.)
	Diarrhoea (3 per cent.)
	Preterm (27 per cent.)
	Asphyxia (23 per cent.)
	Congenital (7 per cent.)
	Other (7 per cent.)
	However, recent data published online in the Lancet on 10 September 2009 from 'Levels and trends in under-five mortality, 1990 to 2008' estimate that this figure has decreased to 8.8 million in 2008.

Developing Countries: Tuberculosis

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what direct funding his Department is providing for national tuberculosis programmes in high-burden countries; and what timetable for the delivery of such funding has been agreed with each recipient country.

Michael Foster: Our main focus to combat tuberculosis (TB) remains the delivery of the Global Plan to Stop TB 2006 to 2015, which aims to save 14 million lives. The Department for International Development (DFID) contributes to this through a variety of channels including specific bilateral projects, research grants, multilateral and partnerships support, like UNITAID (the international drug purchasing facility) and the Stop TB Partnership, and increasingly through broader health sector plans. The timetable of the delivery of funding differs according to the channels used.
	DFID also committed to a number of national TB programmes in high burden countries including South Africa, Nigeria and Zimbabwe where we support the purchase of TB drugs and other commodities. Our support in India is helping treat 6.3 million patients and has saved over 1 million lives since 1997. In China, DFID works in partnership with the World Bank and World Health Organisation (WHO) to provide a £28 million grant supporting China's National TB Control programme in 16 provinces. DFID has an unprecedented commitment of up to £1 billion to the Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB and Malaria (GFATM) for 2008 to 2015. The GFATM estimates that it has supported the additional detection and treatment of 5.4 million people with TB.

Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department takes to ensure effective co-operation between its own aid delivery and that from the Global Fund in countries where both provide aid.

Gareth Thomas: The Global Fund does not have staff based in the countries it supports and instead relies on local structures, including a Country Co-ordinating Mechanism (CCM). CCMs comprise representatives from the public and private sectors as well as people living with the HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis or malaria. The Department for International Development's (DFID) staff are members of CCMs in many countries and there is a high degree of co-operation between DFID and the Global Fund. An example of this co-operation is the way DFID contributed to purchase essential drugs pending Global Fund financing. This has avoided stocks of these drugs from running out in these instances.

Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent discussions he has had with his counterparts in other donor countries on meeting commitments to the Global Fund to fight HIV, tuberculosis and malaria; and what steps his Department is taking on this matter.

Gareth Thomas: The Secretary of State has had no such recent discussions, though UK officials are in regular contact with other donors about Global Fund financing. For example, at the recent Global Fund Executive Board meeting in Ethiopia, UK and several other board members argued strongly in favour of urgent work on several fundamental issues, to respond to the fact that demand from countries for support is likely to outstrip supply of financing for the foreseeable future.

Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the effect of trends in  (a) donor funding and  (b) demand by high-burden countries on the future of the Global Fund to fight HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.

Gareth Thomas: High quality demand from countries has increased dramatically over the last few years, and is outstripping the supply of funds available. This trend is likely to continue. Interim measures were taken so that all of the proposals received in 2008 and 2009 and recommended by the Independent Technical Review Panel could be supported.
	We will continue to work with other donor countries and the Global Fund secretariat to develop new coherent policies that help the fund to address this likely trend in a more systematic way.

KBR

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether his Department has entered into any contracts with Kellogg, Brown and Root or its subsidiaries since January 2009.

Douglas Alexander: The Department for International Development (DFID) has not entered into any contracts with Kellogg, Brown and Root or its subsidiaries since January 2009.

Maternal Mortality

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what estimate he has made of the number and proportion of mothers who died in childbirth of preventable causes in each country for which his Department holds data in the last 12 months.

Michael Foster: The Department for International Development (DFID) does not collect this information itself, but relies on United Nations (UN) estimates. UN estimates are available on the World Health Organisation's Making Pregnancy Safer website and date from 2005;
	http://www.who.int/making_pregnancy_safer/en/

Olympic Games 2012

Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how he plans to  (a) measure and  (b) evaluate the effectiveness of money spent by his Department through the London Olympics International Inspiration 2012 Programme.

Douglas Alexander: The monitoring and evaluation built into International Inspiration Programme draws upon the systems of the in-country implementing partners, British Council and UNICEF and is overseen by the new International Inspiration Foundation.
	The Department for International Development (DFID) was also involved in designing the independent external evaluation of phase 1 of the programme covering Brazil, India, Palau, Zambia and Azerbaijan.

Scientists

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development on how many occasions he has met  (a) the Government Chief Scientific Adviser and  (b) his Department's Chief Scientific Adviser in the course of his official duties in the last 12 months.

Douglas Alexander: I have not held any meetings with the Government's Chief Scientific Adviser and have met with the Department's Chief Scientific Adviser once in the last 12 months in the course of my official duties.
	The Under-Secretary of State for International Development regularly attends meetings where the Government Chief Scientific Adviser and the Department's Chief Scientific Adviser are also present.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Carbon Emissions

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he last discussed the Standard Assessment Procedure grid carbon dioxide methodology with officials in his Department; and whether that methodology has been formulated to achieve the planned de-carbonisation of the grid.

Joan Ruddock: The Department issued a public consultation earlier this year on proposed changes to the standard assessment procedure grid carbon dioxide methodology. We are currently analysing all responses received to the consultation and I will publish the responses to the consultation in due course.
	The standard assessment procedure is a carbon compliance tool and is used to calculate carbon emissions from the fabric and technologies in buildings to ensure compliance with building regulations and the code for sustainable homes. As a result the standard assessment procedure is not designed to de-carbonise the grid for which my Department has put in place many policies as set out in the low carbon transition plan earlier this year.

Climate Change

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what agreements were made at the IMF/World Bank annual meeting in Istanbul on energy and climate change-related matters.

Joan Ruddock: There were no specific commitments agreed for which my Department will be responsible. The IMF-World Bank communiqué reiterated support for the World Bank Group's efforts to tackle long-term development challenges, including climate change, in line with its comparative advantage. We welcome the engagement of all international financial institutions in addressing the challenge and opportunity of low carbon climate resilient growth, and encourage them to make their existing investments climate-smart.

Departmental Legislation

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what criminal offences have been  (a) abolished and  (b) created by primary legislation sponsored by his Department since 1 May 2008.

Joan Ruddock: The information is as follows:
	 (a) Criminal offences abolished since 1 May 2008
	 Energy Act 2008
	Schedule 6 to the Energy Act 2008 repealed section 107(7) of the Energy Act 2004 (offences relating to the decommissioning of offshore renewable energy installations).
	 (b) Criminal offences created since 1 May 2008
	 Energy Act 2008
	Section 8-offence of carrying out unlicensed activities relating to the importation and storage of combustible gas; Section 9-offences relating to combustible gas licences;
	Section 11-offence of failing to comply with a direction issued by the Secretary of State to a combustible gas licence holder in relation to the terms of their licence;
	Section 22-offence of carrying out unlicensed activities relating to the storage of carbon dioxide;
	Section 23-offences relating to carbon dioxide storage licences;
	Section 25-offence of failing to comply with a direction issued by the licensing authority to a carbon dioxide storage licence holder to take steps where the licence holder has failed to comply with the terms of its licence;
	Section 47-offence of using or permitting another person to use a site before a decommissioning programme has been submitted and approved;
	Section 57-offence of failing to comply with an obligation imposed under an approved funded nuclear decommissioning programme;
	Section 59-offence of disclosing information obtained by virtue of a notice issued by the Secretary of State relating to nuclear decommissioning;
	Section 60-offence of supplying false information in relation to the decommissioning or clean-up of nuclear sites;
	Section 71 (inserts a new 112A into the Energy Act 2004)-offences relating to the failure to provide, and unlawful disclosure of, information relating to decommissioning of offshore renewable energy installations;
	Section 73 (inserts a new section 38(6) into the Petroleum Act 1998)-offences relating to the unlawful disclosure of information relating to decommissioning of offshore oil and gas installations;
	Section 75 (inserts a new section 45A into the Petroleum Act 1998)-offences relating to the provision of information and of financial security in respect of a well drilled in pursuance of a petroleum or gas storage licence;
	Section 76 (inserts new section 5B into the Petroleum Act 1998)-offence relating to the disclosure of information supplied to the Secretary of State by HMRC about the transfer of rights granted by a petroleum licence other than for authorised purposes;
	Section 79 (inserts a new section 10H into the Pipelines Act 1962)-offence of contravening a pipeline modification notice requiring an increase in the capacity of an upstream petroleum pipeline or the connection of an additional pipeline.
	 Climate Change Act 2008
	Paragraph 5 of Schedule 4-offence of failing to provide information, or providing false or misleading information, required for the purpose of establishing a trading scheme relating to greenhouse gas emissions.
	Paragraph 2 of Schedule 5 (inserts new Schedule 2AA into the Environmental Protection Act 1990)-offence of obstructing any person from inspecting or making copies of an account detailing rebates and payments to and charges received under a waste reduction scheme.
	Paragraph 6 of Schedule 7 (inserts new section 131C into the Energy Act 2004)-offence relating to the disclosure of information supplied to the Administrator of a renewable transport fuel obligations scheme by HMRC.

Energy Supply

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what his latest estimate is of the average annual spending on  (a) gas and  (b) electricity by households in each household income decile.

David Kidney: The latest estimates of average spending on  (a) gas and  (b) electricity come from the 2008 edition of Family Spending, produced by the Office for National Statistics. This gives average weekly spending levels in 2007, which have been converted into annual figures in the following table.
	
		
			  Average annual expenditure 
			  £ 
			  Income decile  Gas  Electricity 
			 Lowest 234 307 
			 2nd 307 348 
			 3rd 317 359 
			 4th 369 380 
			 5th 390 411 
			 6th 400 447 
			 7th 432 478 
			 8th 458 494 
			 9th 504 530 
			 Highest 593 614 
			 Average 400 437

Fuel Poverty

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many people  (a) in fuel poverty and  (b) in fuel poverty and in a vulnerable group there were in each region in each year since 2003.

David Kidney: holding answer 2 December 2009
	Fuel poverty is measured at the household level. The number of households in fuel poverty in each region of England are shown in the following table, including a split for vulnerable households. Regional estimates are available for England only. The most recently available fuel poverty statistics relate to 2007.
	
		
			  Fuel poor households 
			  Thousand 
			  Government office region  Total  Vulnerable 
			  North East   
			 2003 95 76 
			 2004 103 81 
			 2005 126 96 
			 2006 179 152 
			 2007 206 170 
			
			  Yorkshire and the Humber   
			 2003 180 140 
			 2004 163 123 
			 2005 169 130 
			 2006 273 215 
			 2007 333 274 
			
			  North West   
			 2003 178 132 
			 2004 190 138 
			 2005 268 215 
			 2006 415 343 
			 2007 472 393 
			
			  East Midlands   
			 2003 112 102 
			 2004 101 79 
			 2005 145 113 
			 2006 236 185 
			 2007 272 209 
			
			  West Midlands   
			 2003 146 108 
			 2004 153 119 
			 2005 197 154 
			 2006 304 238 
			 2007 383 318 
			
			  South West   
			 2003 139 109 
			 2004 134 100 
			 2005 181 144 
			 2006 256 200 
			 2007 259 202 
			
			  East of England   
			 2003 115 95 
			 2004 141 108 
			 2005 155 131 
			 2006 224 196 
			 2007 253 210 
			
			  South East   
			 2003 149 128 
			 2004 133 105 
			 2005 169 125 
			 2006 291 234 
			 2007 333 266 
			  London   
			 2003 108 85 
			 2004 119 98 
			 2005 120 88 
			 2006 254 183 
			 2007 309 218 
			
			  England   
			 2003 1,222 974 
			 2004 1,236 951 
			 2005 1,529 1,194 
			 2006 2,432 1,947 
			 2007 2,819 2,259

Government Departments: Carbon Emissions

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what his most recent estimate is of the volume of carbon dioxide emissions that will arise from Government operations in 2010.

Ian Pearson: I have been asked to reply.
	Government are committed to achieving a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions from its estate of 12.5 per cent., and from administrative road travel by 15 per cent., both by 2010-11. Progress against these targets is reported annually in the Sustainable Development in Government report.
	The latest assessment of performance, published in December 2008, forecasts that the percentage reduction in carbon dioxide emissions from Government estate will be approximately 16.9 per cent. (relative to a 1999-2000 baseline), and from administrative road travel the percentage reduction will be approximately 20.9 per cent. (relative to a 2005-06 baseline), by the end of the 2010-11 period.

King's Cliffe

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what discussions his Department has had with the Environment Agency on hydrogeological risk assessments related to the proposed contaminated nuclear waste landfill site at King's Cliffe, Northamptonshire; and if he will make a statement.

David Kidney: DECC has not had discussions with the Environment Agency on hydrogeological risk assessments associated with the proposed disposal of solid radioactive waste at the landfill site near King's Cliffe, Northamptonshire. (Known as East Northants Resource Management Facility.)
	Such assessments are matters for the regulators and the Environment Agency has been reviewing the hydrogeological risk assessment submitted by the operator, Augean South Ltd., that accompanies their application for a permit to dispose of low level radioactive waste at the site. They will assess this as part of their statutory duty to ensure that the public and environment are adequately protected from disposal of radioactive waste.
	It is anticipated that the technical determination of the application will be concluded in January 2010.

Sellafield

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent evaluation has been made of the adequacy of the emergency evacuation plan for the Sellafield nuclear site; and what use the components in that plan make of the road bridges in West Cumbria which have been  (a) destroyed and  (b) damaged.

David Kidney: Evacuation plans were tested at Sellafield on 24 September 2009 as part of the annual national nuclear exercise. The only area of concern in the Sellafield area is the closure of the A595 bridge at Holmrook which would present some difficulties should an evacuation to the south of the site be necessary. A diversion is in place and Cumbria Constabulary and Sellafield are fully aware of the situation.

HEALTH

Alcoholic Drinks: Children

Angela Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to prevent the sale of alcohol to minors.

Alan Campbell: I have been asked to reply.
	The sale of alcohol to children is an offence under section 146 of the Licensing Act 2003 and carries a maximum fine of £5,000. Section 149 states that a person commits an offence if he buys or attempts to buy alcohol on behalf of an individual aged under 18. This offence is also known as proxy purchase and carries a maximum fine of £5,000.
	In order to ensure that police are aware of these offences and the powers they have at their disposal, the Home Office is holding a series of 42 day Alcohol Enforcement Skills Development seminars. The seminars compliment and build on the success of last year's Home Office seminars at which 1,300 licensing professionals received high quality and comprehensive training in the effective use of alcohol-related tools and powers.
	The current round of seminars are being held in the Home Office's priority areas and are focused more directly at operational police officers and those that are involved in the legal issues concerning the Licensing Act 2003 and other alcohol-related enforcement legislation.
	The Policing and Crime Act will bring in the following measures to deal with under-age alcohol issues:
	Change the offence of persistently selling alcohol to children from three strikes within three months, to two strikes within three months.
	Amend the police's power to confiscate alcohol from young people in a public place so that they no longer need to prove that the individual 'intended' to consume the alcohol.
	Extend the police's powers to issue Directions to Leave so that they can be issued to persons aged 10-15.
	Introduce a new offence of persistently possessing alcohol in a public place.
	Young people under 18 can be prosecuted for this offence if they are caught with alcohol in a public place three times within a 12-month period.
	We have also brought in an enabling power for a Mandatory Code of Practice for Alcohol retailers as part of the Policing and Crime Act. This code aims to crack down on irresponsible promotions and practices that fuel alcohol-related disorder and will include a small number of mandatory licensing conditions (up to nine) which could be applicable to all licensed premises.
	To ensure that people aged under 18 are unable to purchase alcohol from legitimate retailers, the Home Office endorses schemes such as Challenge 25. This is a scheme run by retailers themselves, where the basic premise is that all individuals who look as though they are under the age of 25 are asked to prove their age when purchasing any age-restricted products, thereby preventing an offence being committed.
	An alcohol confiscation campaign took place in February 2008 following a pilot in October 2007. 23 out of the 227 basic command units (BCUs) took part in the campaign and the result was that over 3,700 litres of alcohol were confiscated from children under 18 who were found drinking alcohol in public places.
	A larger campaign involving 165 BCUs took place during February 2008 when 21,000 litres of alcohol (70 per cent. beer) was confiscated in over 5,000 separate seizures from individuals and groups of more than 23,000 young people. Activity in both campaigns focused on school holidays and weekends when young people were most likely to be engaged in this activity.
	The Government launched a nationwide crackdown on teenage binge drinking during the summer holidays, with up to £1.4 million of new cash for 69 youth crime priority areas. This is in addition to the £350,000 that each area is receiving this year to tackle antisocial behaviour and youth crime.
	The campaign was based on the following three-point plan:
	Tough enforcement: confiscating alcohol; using dispersal powers to break up groups of young people getting drunk and causing trouble, and behaviour contracts to hold them to account;
	Early intervention and support: giving young people one-to-one support, and youth services working with families to address underlying reasons for young people's behaviour, using parenting contracts and orders to support parents;
	Communicating to the local community: making it clear to the public what is being done to tackle drunk and disorderly behaviour by young people.

Aortic Aneurysm: Screening

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the answer of 3 November 2009,  Official Report, column 909W, on aortic aneurysm, 
	(1)  what the precise locations are of the early implementation sites of ultrasound screening facilities for aortic aneurysm at  (a) West Sussex,  (b) Leicester,  (c) Gloucester,  (d) South Manchester,  (e) South Devon and Exeter and  (f) South West London; and how many patients have been screened at each such location to date;
	(2)  for what reasons the number of hospital sites with abdominal aortic aneurysm ultra sound screening facilities has not been increased since the initial six early implementation sites announced in January 2008; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what criteria will apply to the next provision and allocation of ultra sound screening facilities for aortic aneurysms; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: Following the ministerial announcement in January 2008, six early implementation sites commenced screening from April 2009 onwards. There are four more programmes scheduled to start screening early in the new year.
	All ultrasound screening is carried out in the community at general practitioner (GP) practices and community hospitals within the early implementation sites geographical location.
	Currently the precise location of each ultrasound screening site is not held centrally. An information technology (IT) screening management system is in development and will roll out in the next week. It is expected that during early 2010 when the IT system is fully operational this information will be available.
	To date the numbers of men screened are:
	
		
			  Screening programme  Numbers screened 
			 West Sussex 1,500 
			 Leicester 6,126 
			 Gloucester 2,500 
			 South Manchester 940 
			 South Devon and Exeter 1,093 
			 South West London 1,179 
		
	
	The NHS Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Screening programme (NAAASP) is being introduced gradually to make sure it works as effectively as possible. It is important that in the early stages of roll out processes and procedures are assessed and evaluated to ensure that the programme is providing the best possible service.
	In order to be considered as a screening site local hospitals with their primary care trusts are required to submit an application to the NAAASP to show that they can deliver a quality service that meets the standards set out by the national programme.
	Business cases for the next phase of roll out are due for submission at the end of November and following a review, more programmes will be announced in the new year.
	Criteria that have been endorsed by the UK National Screening Committee, the Department's Vascular Board and the NAAASP and developed to ensure that men referred for treatment as a result of screening have the best possible outcomes can be found at:
	http://aaa.screening.nhs.uk/Implementation_Guidance

Aortic Aneurysm: Screening

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of  (a) provision and installation of the technology for ultrasound screening in respect of aortic aneurysms and  (b) staffing at the level required for optimal use of such technology at each location; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: A total of £662,180 was allocated to early implementer sites for the purchase of ultrasound equipment.
	Information about the cost to the public purse of the staffing levels required for optimal use of ultrasound technology is not held centrally.

Aortic Aneurysm: Screening

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he expects Basildon and Thurrock to be included in the next round of provision of funding for ultrasound screening for aortic aneurysms; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: It is not expected that Basildon and Thurrock will be included in the next round of provision of funding for ultrasound screening for abdominal aortic aneurysm screening.
	To be considered as a screening site, local hospitals along with their primary care trusts are required to submit an application to the NHS Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Screening programme (NAAASP) to show that they can deliver a quality service that meets the standards set out by the national programme.
	To date Basildon and Thurrock have not submitted a bid to the NAAASP for consideration.

Arthritis: Medical Treatments

Andrew Pelling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has  (a) funded and  (b) supported in other ways on the use of jellyfish mucin in the treatment of arthritis.

Gillian Merron: Neither the Department nor the Medical Research Council is currently supporting such research.

Blood: Diseases

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to improve knowledge of sickle cell disease and thalassaemia amongst primary care nurses and GPs.

Ann Keen: The Department supports the work of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Sickle Cell and Thalassaemia in raising awareness of these conditions. I provided a statement for the APPG publication Sickle Cell Disease and Thalassaemia: A Health Check earlier in the year and also met with the UK Thalassaemia Society to discuss care of thalassaemia patients.
	The responsibility for setting education standards for primary care nurses and general practitioners (GPs), and designing training curricula to meet these standards, rests with the professional standard setters and regulators. For medicine, this is the statutory responsibility of the medical Royal colleges and the Postgraduate Medical Education and Training Board. For nursing this is the Nursing and Midwifery Council.
	The Department recognises the importance of improving knowledge of sickle cell disease and thalassaemia among all health care professionals and especially primary care nurses and GPs and will liaise with the relevant organisations to facilitate discussions about this issue.

Capita

Don Touhig: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether any contracts between Capita Group plc and his Department have been cancelled before completion since 1997; and whether Capita Group plc has been liable for any penalties arising from failings in the administration of contracts since 1997.

Phil Hope: This information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	Until July 2008, when a new business management system was introduced for the Department, such information was not held centrally.

Capita

Don Touhig: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on how many occasions Capita Group plc tendered for contracts let by his Department in each of the last five years; how many such tenders were successful; how much his Department paid to Capita Group plc for the execution of contracts in each such year; how many contracts which terminate after 2010 Capita Group plc hold with his Department; and what the monetary value is of all outstanding contracts between his Department and Capita Group plc.

Phil Hope: This information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Until July 2008, when a new business management system was introduced for the Department, such information was not held centrally.
	However, we have identified two major contracts with Capita Group plc. They are:
	1. Public and Patient Experience and Engagement-this is held with Capita Business Services Ltd. The contract started in March 2009 and will run until March 2012. The contract value is £5.25 million over three years (from the  Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) contract award notice), with the annual value for 2009-10 being forecast at approximately £1.75 million.
	2. NHS Choices Health Information Service-this is held with Capita Business Services Ltd. The contract started in November 2008 and ends in November 2011. The contract value is £60 million (from the OJEU contract award notice) with approximately £26.8 million paid to date.

Chlamydia: Screening

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to encourage the provision of Chlamydia screening in settings other than  (a) GP surgeries and  (b) genito-urinary clinics.

Gillian Merron: To increase Chlamydia testing opportunities, and to maximise existing capacity the National Chlamydia Screening programme (NCSP) recommends that primary care trusts (PCTS) aim to achieve most of the tests through community and primary care core services. These comprise general practitioners, sexual and reproductive health, community pharmacies and abortion services. The NCSP has issued specific guidance on maximising testing through these community and primary care core services, and uptake is monitored on a quarterly basis.
	PCTs may also extend access by offering screens through a range of other testing venues including remote testing via websites/postal kits, educational establishments and targeted outreach events. The NCSP has issued specific guidance on maximising testing through remote testing.

Chlamydia: Screening

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the rate of uptake of Chlamydia screening in primary care trusts; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: The National Chlamydia Screening programme routinely monitors the uptake of screening in primary care trusts and publishes data on the uptake on a quarterly basis.
	Data tables for primary care trusts in England are available at:
	www.chlamydiascreening.nhs.uk/ps/data/data_tables.html

Chlamydia: West Midlands

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what proportion of people of each sex between the ages of 15 and 24 years were screened for Chlamydia in the West Midlands in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: Information on screening data from genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinics for 2009 is not yet available. The most up to date Chlamydia screening information is provided in the following table.
	Number of Chlamydia tests performed in the last 12 months by the National Chlamydia Screening Programme (NCSP), and within laboratories outside of genitourinary medicine clinics (GUM), among those aged 15-24 years in the West Midlands (1 October 2008 to 30 September 2009).
	
		
			   Number of female tests  Number of male tests  Total tests including unknown sex  Female coverage( 1)  (percentage)  Male coverage( 1)  (percentage)  Total coverage( 1)  (percentage) 
			 NCSP tests 60,648 37,081 97,885 17.0 9.9 13.4 
			 Non NCSP laboratory tests outside of GUM 24,185 1,935 26,266 6.8 0.5 3.6 
			 Total tests outside of GUM 84,833 39,016 124,151 23.8 10.4 16.9 
			 (1) 15-24 year old population estimates are based on the mid 2006-ONS population projections for 2009 using the mid 2006 ONS male and female proportions.  Notes: 1. The information from GUM clinics for 2009 is not yet available. 2. NSCP data are presented by primary care trust of residence and are based on vital signs indicator criteria. 3. Tests outside GUM represent the number of tests and not number of people tested. It should be noted that number of tests will be used as a proxy for the number of people tested. 4. Total tests include tests for which sex was recorded as unknown or unspecified. 5. Data presented are based on tests with confirmed positive and negative results only. Tests with equivocal, inhibitory and insufficient results have been excluded as most people with these results are retested.  Source:  NCSP core data and non NCSP non GUM aggregate dataset. Data for the period October 2008 to March 2009 are as of 22 May 2009 and data for the period April 2009 to September 2009 are as of 9 November 2009.

Departmental Buildings

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many residential properties his Department owns; and how many  (a) are occupied and  (b) have been empty for more than six months.

Phil Hope: The Department owns 10 individual residential properties (nine being in one block). Two are occupied and the remainder have been vacant for more than six months. The residential block of nine properties is currently in the process of being sold.

Departmental Contracts

Don Touhig: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what criteria his Department uses in determining the award of contracts; and how much his Department has spent on the advertisement of tenders for Government contracts since 1997.

Phil Hope: The Department's 'Guide to Buying Services and Goods' states the need to develop value for money principles thus:
	Buying goods and services in the public sector is not judged on getting goods or services for the lowest possible price, but on value for money. This includes the quality and other relevant areas of the resulting service or goods. It is a judgement based on the best combination of the cost of a product or service, spread over its whole lifetime, and its ability to meet, but not necessarily do better than the needs of the user. They normally achieve this by comparing suppliers' bids, and by generally testing the market.
	This principle is included within the 'Public Contracts Regulations 2006', which outlines the need to either set the award criteria at the lowest price, or at the most economically advantageous tender (MEAT). The award criteria using MEAT is linked to the subject matter and may include quality, price, technical merits, aesthetic and functional characteristics.
	The Department's procurement policy is to apply this approach to all procurements above £10,000. Procurements at £90,319 or above are subject to the 'Public Contract Regulations 2006' where further information relating to weightings for criteria are applied.
	Using the free electronic portal 'Information System for European Public Procurement', the cost of advertising tenders is kept to a minimum.
	There may however be occasions when, due to the specific nature of a procurement, the Department uses paid-for advertising. This information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Until July 2008, when a new business management system was introduced for the Department, such information was not held centrally.

Departmental Ministerial Duties

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what official  (a) meetings and  (b) engagements he had on 27 October 2009; at what times and venues each took place; what the purposes of each were; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Hope: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State attended Cabinet on 27 October 2009, and had a variety of meetings and engagements throughout the day.

Derbyshire County Primary Care Trust: Manpower

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) staff,  (b) doctors other than general practitioners,  (c) medical and dental health services staff other than doctors and nurses,  (d) general practitioners,  (e) qualified nursing staff other than practice nurses and  (f) practice nurses worked in Derbyshire primary care trust in (i) 2007, (ii) 2008 and (iii) 2009.

Ann Keen: Workforce data for 2009 are currently being collected and will not be available until March 2010. However, data for staff working within Derbyshire County primary care trust (PCT), for 2006, 2007 and 2008 are shown in the following table.
	
		
			  General practitioners (GPs), Hospital and Community Health Services (HCHS): medical and dental staff( 1)  and qualified nursing staff working within Derbyshire County PCT, England at 30 September each year 
			  Number (headcount) 
			   2006  2007  2008 
			 All national health service staff 6,989 6,830 7,015 
			  O f which:
			 All doctors(1) 552 554 622 
			 GPs 497 510 544 
			 HCHS: medical and dental staff(1) 55 44 78 
			 
			 Total qualified nursing staff 1,595 1,631 1,671 
			 
			 Nursing staff 1,271 1,280 1,320 
			 GP practice nurses 324 351 351 
			 (1)Excludes medical hospital practitioners and medical clinical assistants, most of whom are GPs working part time in hospitals and have been excluded to avoid double counting. All medical and dental staff are doctors and have been counted as such.   Source: The NHS Information Centre for health and social care.

Diabetes

John Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many emergency hospital admissions of  (a) males and  (b) females in each age group in each primary care trust area were recorded for (i) diabetic ketoacidosis and (ii) hypoglycaemia in each of the last five years, broken down by type of diabetes.

Ann Keen: Tables which show emergency hospital admissions with a primary diagnosis of diabetic ketoacidosis or hypoglycaemic coma between 2004-05 and 2008-09 have been placed in the Library. The data are broken down by age, gender, strategic health authority (SHA) and diabetes type.
	The data provided are by SHA of residence, because the figures at primary care trust (PCT) level would be too small to give a meaningful indication of the level of emergency admissions and most would be suppressed for patient confidentiality reasons.
	In July 2006, the national health service reorganised SHAs and PCTs in England. As a result data from 2006-07 onwards are not directly comparable with previous years.

Health Professions: Regulation

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made towards implementation of his Department's White Paper on the regulation of health professionals; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: We welcome the opportunity to set out the significant progress that the Government have made in implementing the White Paper Trust Assurance and Safety - The Regulation of Health Professionals in the 21st Century.
	Following the publication of the White Paper in February 2007, the Government introduced the Health and Social Care Act which provides an enabling framework to implement many of the reforms proposed in the White Paper.
	Seven working groups were established to develop detailed implementation proposals. All the working groups have reported and good progress is being made in implementing the recommendations made. Reports from the seven working groups are available on the Department's website at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Managingyourorganisation/Humanresourcesandtraining/Modernisingprofessionalregulation/index.htm
	A detailed summary of the progress made to date has been placed in the Library.

Health Services: Children

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children under the age of 16 years have been admitted to hospital owing to ingestion of  (a) alcohol,  (b) nicotine and tobacco,  (c) prescription drugs and  (d) Class (i) A, (ii) B and (iii) C drugs in each of the last five years.

Gillian Merron: Data on the number of children aged under-16 admitted to hospital due to ingestion of alcohol, nicotine and tobacco or drugs is given in the following table. It should be noted that there are 17,000 hospital admissions per year of children under-five due to their parents smoking and that the system of diagnostic codes used to classify admission to hospital does not distinguish between whether a drug is prescribed or not or classify drugs according to their class. Additionally, it is important to note that the diagnostic codes do not distinguish between recreational, illicit misuse or medical use of drugs. The diagnostic codes used are as listed.
	
		
			  Count of finished admission episodes( 1)  where there is a primary diagnosis( 2)  of 'ingestion of alcohol'( 3) , 'nicotine and tobacco ingestion'( 3)  and 'ingestion of drugs'( 3)  for patients aged 0 to 15 from 2004-05 to 2008-09( 4) 
			   Alcohol  Nicotine and tobacco  Drugs 
			 2008-09 3,681 44 13,303 
			 2007-08 4,740 31 14,893 
			 2006-07 5,086 22 15,210 
			 2005-06 5,246 29 15,916 
			 2004-05 4,967 23 14,609 
			 (1) Finished admission episodes A finished admission episode is the first period of in-patient care under one consultant within one health care provider. Finished admission episodes are counted against the year in which the admission episode finishes. It should be noted that admissions do not represent the number of in-patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year. Years are assigned by the end of the first period of care in a patient's hospital stay. (2) Diagnosis Primary diagnosis data have been used to provide figures on ingestion for nicotine and tobacco and drugs. However, primary and secondary diagnosis data have been used to provide a more accurate figure for alcohol admissions. 
			  Finished admission episodes A finished admission episode is the first period of in-patient care under one consultant within one health care provider. Finished admission episodes are counted against the year in which the admission episode finishes. Please note that admissions do not represent the number of in-patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year.  Primary diagnosis The primary diagnosis is the first of up to 20 (14 from 2002-03 to 2006-07 and seven prior to 2002-03) diagnosis fields in the Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) data set and provides the main reason why the patient was admitted to hospital.  Secondary diagnosis As well as the primary diagnosis, there are up to 19 (13 from 2002-03 to 2007-08 and six prior to 2002-03) secondary diagnosis fields in HES that show other diagnoses relevant to the episode of care. (3) ICD-10 Codes The ICD-10 codes used to identify hospital admissions due to ingestion of alcohol, or nicotine and tobacco or drug are listed as follows:  Alcohol Alcoholic cardiomyopathy (142.6) Alcoholic gastritis (K29.2) Alcoholic liver disease (K70) Alcoholic myopathy (G72.1) Alcoholic polyneuropathy (G62.1) Alcohol-induced pseudo-Cushing's syndrome (E24.4) Chronic pancreatitis (alcohol induced) (K86.0) Degeneration of nervous system due to alcohol (G31.2) Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of alcohol (F10) Accidental poisoning by and exposure to alcohol (X45) Ethanol poisoning (T51.0) Methanol poisoning (T51.1) Toxic effect of alcohol, unspecified (T51.9)  Nicotine and tobacco F17-Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of tobacco T65.2-Toxic effect of tobacco and nicotine  Drugs F10-Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of alcohol F11-Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of opioids F12-Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of cannabinoids F13-Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of sedatives or hypnotics F14-Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of cocaine F15-Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of other stimulants, including caffeine F16-Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of hallucinogens F17-Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of tobacco F18-Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of volatile solvents F19-Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of multiple drug use and use of other psychoactive substances F55.X Abuse of non-dependence-producing substances The following ICD-10 code categories are for poisoning and toxic effects which are both either self-inflicted, or accidental. They include both prescription and non prescription drugs: T36-Poisoning by systemic antibiotics T37-Poisoning by other systemic anti-infectives and antiparasitics T38-Poisoning by hormones and their synthetic substitutes and antagonists, not elsewhere classified T39-Poisoning by nonopioid analgesics, antipyretics and antirheumatics T40-Poisoning by narcotics and psychodysleptics (hallucinogens) T41-Poisoning by anaesthetics and therapeutic gases T42-Poisoning by antiepileptic, sedative-hypnotic and antiparkinsonism drugs T43-Poisoning by psychotropic drugs, not elsewhere classified T44-Poisoning by drugs primarily affecting the autonomic nervous system T45-Poisoning by primarily systemic and haematological agents, not elsewhere classified T46-Poisoning by agents primarily affecting the cardiovascular system T47-Poisoning by agents primarily affecting the gastrointestinal system T48-Poisoning by agents primarily acting on smooth and skeletal muscles and the respiratory system T49-Poisoning by topical agents primarily affecting skin and mucous membrane and by ophthalmological, otorhinolaryngological and dental drugs T50-Poisoning by diuretics and other and unspecified drugs, medicaments and biological substances (4) Assessing growth through time HES figures are available from 1989-90 onwards. The quality and coverage of the data have improved over time. These improvements in information submitted by the NHS have been particularly marked in the earlier years and need to be borne in mind when analysing time series. Some of the increase in figures for later years (particularly 2006-07 onwards) may be due to the improvement in the coverage of independent sector activity. Changes in NHS practice also need to be borne in mind when analysing time series. For example, a number of procedures may now be undertaken in out-patient settings and may no longer be accounted for in the HES data. This may account for any reductions in activity over time.  Data quality HES are compiled from data sent by more than 300 NHS trusts and primary care trusts in England. Data are also received from a number of independent sector organisations for activity commissioned by the English NHS. The NHS Information Centre for health and social care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data via HES processes. While this brings about improvement over time, some shortcomings remain.

Health Visitors: Manpower

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many health visitors have been employed in  (a) Chesterfield,  (b) Derbyshire and  (c) England in each year since 1997.

Ann Keen: The number of health visitors employed in Derbyshire and England since 1997 are given in the following table.
	
		
			  National health service hospital and community health services: Health visitors in England and the Derbyshire County primary care trust (PCT) area as at 30 September each year 
			  H eadcount 
			   England  O f which: Derbyshire County PCT 
			 1997 12,410 n/a 
			 1998 12,572 n/a 
			 1999 12,800 n/a 
			 2000 12,827 n/a 
			 2001 13,053 n/a 
			 2002 12,774 175 
			 2003 12,984 176 
			 2004 13,303 179 
			 2005 12,818 183 
			 2006 12,034 173 
			 2007 11,569 177 
			 2008 11,190 172 
			 n/a = Not available. We cannot accurately map figures for this organisation prior to 2002.   Note:  Derbyshire County PCT was formed in October 2006 from a complete merger of Amber Valley PCT, Chesterfield PCT, Derbyshire Dales and South Derbyshire PCT, Erewash PCT, High Peak and Dales PCT and North Eastern Derbyshire PCT. Figures prior to 2006 are an aggregate of these predecessor organisations. Derbyshire County PCT covers the Chesterfield area.   Source: The NHS Information Centre for health and social care Non-Medical Workforce census.

Homeopathy

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health by what mechanisms NHS patients may choose homeopathic treatments.

Gillian Merron: Any patient wishing to receive any form of treatment should consult their general practitioner (GP) who would consider whether it was the best course of treatment for the individual's condition. The GP would need to satisfy themselves as to the safety, clinical and cost effectiveness of the treatment and the availability of suitably qualified/regulated practitioners.

Hospice in the Weald: Finance

Michael Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of the operating cost of the Hospice in the Weald was met from public funds in 2008-09; and if he will take steps to increase it.

Phil Hope: It is for individual primary care trusts (PCTs) to decide the level of funding they allocate to end of life care services, including local hospices, based on assessments of local needs and priorities.
	The Department is making £286 million available over the two years to 2011 to support the implementation of the End of Life Care Strategy. Most of this money has been allocated to PCTs. Hospices will be in a prime position to bid for extra funding from the national health service to support the delivery of many of the initiatives recommended in the strategy.

Hospital Beds

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many bed nights patients who were ready for discharge spent in hospital in each primary care trust in the last 12 months.

Phil Hope: The information requested has been placed in the Library.

Hospitals: Cleaning Services

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospital trusts use the  (a) 2001,  (b) 2003 and  (c) 2007 cleaning specifications as a basis for contracts with (i) cleaning contractors and (ii) in-house cleaning staff.

Ann Keen: This information is not collected centrally.
	The National specifications for cleanliness in the NHS, most recently updated and published by the National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) in April 2007, provide an assurance framework and set out cleaning standards to support trust compliance with the Health and Social Care Act 2008: Code of practice for the NHS on the prevention of healthcare associated infection and related guidance.
	Local trust managers are accountable for the effectiveness of their cleaning arrangements and it is for them to determine how to demonstrate the ways in which those services meet the requirements of the code of practice. Trusts are free to adopt the framework set out in the national specifications or an equivalent.

Injuries: Offensive Weapons

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people with  (a) stab wounds and  (b) gunshot wounds were admitted to each hospital trust in Mid Bedfordshire constituency in each of the last five years.

Gillian Merron: Information is not available in the format requested. The number of finished admission episodes for stab wounds and gunshot wounds at Bedford Hospital NHS Trust is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  A count of finished admission episodes( 1)  where the external cause code( 2)  was injuries by knife or firearm at Bedford Hospital NHS Trust from 2008-09 to 2004-05( 3, 4) 
			   Bedford Hospital NHS Trust 
			   Knife  Gunshot 
			 2008-09 30 * 
			 2007-08 21 * 
			 2006-07 19 * 
			 2005-06 23 * 
			 2004-05 13 * 
			 (1) Finished admission episodes  A finished admission episode is the first period of in-patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. Finished admission episodes are counted against the year in which the admission episode finishes. It should be noted that admissions do not represent the number of in-patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year. (2) External Cause Codes The ICD-10 Code used to reflect injury by sharp object or firearm are:  Knife Wounds W26-Contact with knife, sword or dagger X78 Intentional self-harm by sharp object This code identifies self-harm by any sharp object, and therefore includes (but is not limited to) self-harm with a knife. X99-Assault by sharp object This code identifies assault by any sharp object and therefore includes but is not limited to assault with a knife.  Gunshot Wounds W32-Handgun discharge W33-Rifle, shotgun and larger firearm discharge W34-Discharge from other and unspecified firearms X72-Intentional self-harm by handgun discharge X73-Intentional self-harm by rifle, shotgun and larger firearm discharge X74-Intentional self-harm by other and unspecified firearm discharge X93-Assault by handgun discharge X94-Assault by rifle, shotgun and larger firearm discharge X95-Assault by other and unspecified firearm discharge Y22-Handgun discharge, undetermined intent Y23-Rifle, shotgun and larger firearm discharge, undetermined intent Y24-Other and unspecified firearm discharge, undetermined intent Y28-Contact with sharp object, undetermined intent Y35.0-Legal intervention involving firearm discharge Y36.4-War operations involving firearm discharge and other forms of conventional warfare (3) Assessing growth through time HES figures are available from 1989-90 onwards. The quality and coverage of the data have improved over time. These improvements in information submitted by the NHS have been particularly marked in the earlier years and need to be borne in mind when analysing time series. Some of the increase in figures for later years (particularly 2006-07 onwards) may be due to the improvement in the coverage of independent sector activity. Changes in NHS practice also need to be borne in mind when analysing time series. For example, a number of procedures may now be undertaken in outpatient settings and may no longer be accounted for in the HES data. This may account for any reductions in activity over time. (4) Activity in English national health services Hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector.  Small numbers To protect patient confidentiality, figures between one and five have been suppressed and replaced with * (an asterisk). Where it was possible to identify numbers from the total due to a single suppressed number in a row or column, an additional number (the next smallest) has been suppressed.  Source:  Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), The NHS Information Centre for health and social care.

Injuries: Offensive Weapons

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people were admitted to hospital with knife wounds in  (a) the North East and  (b) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency in each year since 1997.

Gillian Merron: The information is not available in the format requested. The Department does not hold data at constituency level. Information has been provided for the North East Strategic Health Authority (SHA), the Middlesbrough Primary Care Trust (PCT) and the Redcar and Cleveland PCT. As part of the national health service organisation restructure in July 2006-07, Langbaurgh PCT merged with part of Middlesbrough PCT to form Redcar and Cleveland PCT.
	Information has been provided on the number of finished admission episodes for two clinical codes. Code x99 covers assault by a sharp object, and code w26 covers accidental contact knife, sword or dagger. Data for both these clinical codes have been provided for the years 1996-97 to 2008-09. The data that are set out in the following table include all activity in NHS hospitals in England and activity performed in the independent sector in England commissioned by the NHS in England.
	
		
			  Count of admissions to hospital with knife wounds in the North East SHA, and Middlesbrough PCT and Redcar and Cleveland  PCT,  1996-97 to 2008-09 
			   North East SHA  Middlesbrough PCT  Redcar and Cleveland PCT 
			   W26-Contact with knife, sword or dagger  X99-Assault by sharp object  W26-Contact with knife, sword or dagger  X99-Assault by sharp object  W26-Contact with knife, sword or dagger  X99-Assault by sharp object 
			 2008-09 348 393 30 25 26 20 
			 2007-08 363 361 14 27 16 20 
			 2006-07 362 359 26 42 11 18 
			 2005-06 392 370 46 44 16 11 
			 2004-05 429 384 39 53 24 15 
			 2003-04 434 334 50 50 21 12 
			 2002-03 370 332 46 60 13 10 
			 2001-02 397 350 49 52 19 15 
			 2000-01 336 287 51 49 15 8 
			 1999-2000 339 293 47 41 9 10 
			 1998-99 292 266 40 31 18 * 
			 1997-98 258 247 29 36 12 * 
			 1996-97 222 293 24 26 12 19 
			  Notes: 1. A finished admission episode is the first period of in-patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. Finished admission episodes are counted against the year in which the admission episode finishes. It should be noted that admissions do not represent the number of in-patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year. 2. The SHA/PCT of residence contains episodes grouped according to the SHA or PCT containing the patient's normal home address. This reflects where the patients lived but does not necessarily reflect where they were treated, as they may have travelled to another SHA/PCT for treatment. As such, patients treated in the NHS in England but resident outside of England will be included. 3. To protect patient confidentiality, figures between 1 and 5 have been suppressed and replaced with * (an asterisk). Where it was possible to identify numbers from the total due to a single suppressed number in a row or column, an additional number (the next smallest) has been suppressed. 4. HES are compiled from data sent by more than 300 NHS trusts and PCTs in England. Data are also received from a number of independent sector organisations for activity commissioned by the English NHS. The NHS Information Centre for health and social care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data via HES processes. While this brings about improvement over time, some shortcomings remain.  5. HES figures are available from 1989-90 onwards. The quality and coverage of the data have improved over time. These improvements in information submitted by the NHS have been particularly marked in the earlier years and need to be borne in mind when analysing time series. Some of the increase in figures for later years (particularly 2006-07 onwards) may be due to the improvement in the coverage of independent sector activity. Changes in NHS practice also need to be borne in mind when analysing time series. For example, a number of procedures may now be undertaken in out-patient settings and may no longer be accounted for in the HES data. This may account for any reductions in activity over time.  Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), the Information Centre for health and social care.

Leukaemia: Drugs

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what discussions he has had with the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence on the prescribing of  (a) dasatinib and  (b) nilotinib for the treatment of imatinib-resistant and imatinib-intolerant chronic myeloid leukaemia; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what discussions he has had with the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence on the use of  (a) dasatinib and  (b) nilotinib for the treatment of imatinib-resistant and imatinib-intolerant chronic myeloid leukaemia; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: We have had no such discussions. Following the referral of topics to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) work programme, NICE develops its guidance independently based on a thorough assessment of the available evidence and in consultation with stakeholders.

Leukaemia: Drugs

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the cost of the likely total cost to the NHS of prescribing  (a) dasatinib and  (b) nilotinib for the treatment of imatinib-resistant and imatinib-intolerant chronic myeloid leukaemia; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: We have made no such assessment. Primary care trust (PCT) allocations take account of expected growth in drugs spending including the impact of National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) technology appraisal guidance, but the Department of Health does not routinely estimate the likely total cost of individual drugs.
	NICE is currently developing technology appraisal guidance on the use of dasatinib and nilotinib for the treatment of chronic myeloid leukaemia. Following publication of its final guidance, NICE will publish a costing report that estimates the likely cost to the national health service of its recommendations.

Leukaemia: Drugs

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has issued guidance to primary care trusts on the prescribing of  (a) dasatinib and  (b) nilotinib for the treatment of imatinib-resistant and imatinib-intolerant chronic myeloid leukaemia; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: We have issued no such guidance. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) is currently developing technology appraisal guidance on the use of dasatinib and nilotinib for the treatment of chronic myeloid leukaemia. NICE currently expects to issue final guidance in spring 2010.

Mental Health Services

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many mental health coordinators there are in England;
	(2)  what the cost of the mental health coordinator network was in the last 12 months.

Phil Hope: The information requested is not collected.

NHS: Internet

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what the cost to the public purse of the NHS Comms Link was at the latest date for which figures are available;
	(2)  how many registered users of the NHS Comms Link there are;
	(3)  what his most recent estimate is of the average number of people who use the NHS Comms Link each  (a) day and  (b) month;
	(4)  how many registered users of the NHS Comms Link  (a) did not use that system in November 2009 and  (b) have not used that system in 2009 to date;
	(5)  how many administrators of the NHS Comms Link there are.

Mike O'Brien: There are currently 3,658 registered users on NHS Comms Link. The total cost to date for NHS Comms Link is £768,542. The average number of people (unique users, i.e. individuals) who use NHS Comms Link each day is 190. The average number of people (unique users) who use NHS Comms Link each month is 2,055.
	The figures for November 2009 are not yet available. The latest data available show that in October 2009, 1,265 users did not log into their account. The latest data available show that in the period January 2009 to October 2009, 1,189 users did not log into their account. There is one administrator post attached to Comms Link.

NHS: Road Salting and Gritting

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many primary care trusts have provided funding to local highway authorities to grit local roads in 2009-10;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the amount of funding provided by primary care trusts to local authorities to grit roads in 2009-10.

Mike O'Brien: The Department does not collect this information.

Obesity: Children

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has made any assessment of the effect of fitness-based video games on the level of  (a) fitness,  (b) obesity and  (c) activity of children.

Gillian Merron: There are a number of studies under way which are exploring the health benefits of playing fitness-based video games. In addition, as part of our obesity strategy we have established an Expert Working Group to look at the impact of sedentary behaviour, including screen time on children's physical health and activity levels.

Swine Flu

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his most recent estimate is of the number of new cases of swine influenza diagnosed in each of the last six months.

Gillian Merron: We do not have estimated cases for all of the months requested but information on the number of cases is available on the Health Protection Agency (HPA) website at:
	www.hpa.org.uk/HPA/Topics/InfectiousDiseases/InfectionsAZ/1240986147093/
	During the initial containment phase of the response to swine flu cases of suspected swine flu were confirmed by laboratory test. This information was published daily. Since 2 July, when we moved to the treatment phase of the response, we have been relying on clinical diagnosis instead of laboratory confirmation to identify cases of swine flu. The estimated total number of cases of swine flu is mathematically modelled for England each week using the available surveillance information and is published weekly. These daily and weekly reports are available on the HPA website.

Teenage Pregnancy: Education

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of mothers in the 16 to 19 years old age group were in education, employment or training at the latest date for which figures are available.

Iain Wright: I have been asked to reply.
	I am replying as the Minister responsible for young people's participation in education, employment or training. The proportion of mothers aged between 16 and 19 years in education, employment or training in England increased from 22.2 per cent. in 1997-99 to 32.9 per cent. in 2007-09(1), an increase of almost 50 per cent. Data are averaged over three years because of small sample sizes.
	( 1) Source:
	Labour Force Survey sample, 2009

Tuberculosis

Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reasons the electronic tuberculosis surveillance systems in operation in  (a) London and  (b) elsewhere in England differ; and whether he plans to amalgamate the two systems.

Gillian Merron: The national Enhanced Tuberculosis Surveillance (ETS) system started in 1999 as a paper-based reporting system. In 2002 following consultation across London, led by the then Regional Health Authority, an electronic web-based system was launched in London (the London tuberculosis Register (LTBR)).
	LTBR team and the national ETS team are working together towards having only one system. It is anticipated that in 2010 the national system will replace the LTBR in London.

Tuberculosis: Health Services

Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the Care Quality Commission assesses tuberculosis services routinely; and if he will instruct the Commission to conduct a specific review of the effectiveness of such services.

Gillian Merron: The Care Quality Commission (CQC) assessed the overall quality of national health service organisations for 2008-09. Individual services are not assessed or rated separately as part of this overall assessment, so no routine assessments of tuberculosis services were made. In the future the Department will make available a range of information on NHS performance including the extent to which providers of care meet new registration requirements, and information on performance of certain services.
	A consultation on topics for special review in 2010-11 will be published shortly. This document entitled Assessment of Quality for 2010-11 is expected to be published on the CQC website during the week commencing 21 December and will be made available in the House Library thereafter.

Tuberculosis: Immigrants

Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what measures are in place to screen for tuberculosis migrants who enter the UK other than through Gatwick or Heathrow airports;
	(2)  whether the  (a) Heathrow and  (b) Gatwick airports health control units screen for tuberculosis 24 hours a day.

Gillian Merron: At some airports, for example, Manchester and Birmingham, contact details of entrants from countries with high burden of tuberculosis (TB) are collected by the UK Border Agency and sent on to Consultants in Communicable Disease Control in the local Health Protection Units. The details are recorded in a Port 102 form-which notifies the local unit of an arrival but indicates that the entrant has not been examined. At other airports there is no such provision because there are very few flights from high risk countries.
	Currently both Heathrow and Gatwick units screen for TB 24 hours a day seven days a week. At Heathrow this takes place in Terminals 3, 4 and 5. At Gatwick, this takes place in the South and North Terminals. All terminals have just received upgrades from old analogue equipment to new digital systems.

Tuberculosis: Medical Treatments

Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects his Department's evaluation of the TB Find and Treat Project to be complete.

Gillian Merron: The Department is currently in the process of recruiting an evaluation team for the Tuberculosis Find and Treat Project. The intention is to provide a preliminary assessment of findings in mid-2010, to present to London commissioners in time for the commissioning round for national health service services for 2011-12.
	It is anticipated that a finalised report would be available to the Department in early 2011, and available as a peer reviewed journal publication soon after that.

Tuberculosis: Vaccination

Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on the administration of BCG vaccinations for children and adolescents in London living in low tuberculosis-incidence areas but attending schools in high incidence areas.

Gillian Merron: The Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccination programme against tuberculosis (TB) is targeted to protect individuals at highest risk of exposure to TB. BCG vaccine is offered to infants aged 0 to 12 months living in areas where the annual incidence of TB is 40/100,000 or greater. The vaccine is not offered to school-age children according to the location of their school.
	The at risk groups for BCG vaccination are listed in a statement made in 2007 by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) which is available at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/ab/JCVI/DH_094744
	The JCVI reaffirmed its advice that the current policy is the most effective use of the vaccine in the United Kingdom.
	In April 2009 the London TB Commissioning Board, on behalf of London's primary care trusts, ratified a visioning and commissioning strategy for TB in London with the aims of producing a needs assessment and developing and implementing a world class TB control programme by 2012.

Tuberculosis: Vaccination

Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will modify his Department's policy in respect of vaccination against tuberculosis to classify all of inner London as high risk.

Gillian Merron: The Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccination programme against tuberculosis (TB) is targeted to protect individuals at highest risk of exposure to TB. This programme was introduced in 2005 on the advice of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). The JCVI reaffirmed its advice in 2007 that this policy is the most effective use of the vaccine in the United Kingdom.
	There are no current plans to review the BCG vaccination policy.

TREASURY

Capita

Don Touhig: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  whether any contracts between Capita Group plc and his Department have been cancelled before completion since 1997; and whether Capita Group plc has been liable for any penalties arising from failings in the administration of contracts since 1997;
	(2)  on how many occasions Capita Group plc tendered for contracts let by his Department in each of the last five years; how many such tenders were successful; how much his Department paid to Capita Group plc for the execution of contracts in each such year; how many contracts which terminate after 2010 Capita Group plc hold with his Department; and what the monetary value is of all outstanding contracts between his Department and Capita Group plc.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Details on the total number of tenders submitted by Capita Group plc are not held centrally and would incur disproportionate cost to identify all such tenders.
	The following table shows contracts with Capita Group plc held by HM Treasury since 2005, and the amounts paid for the execution of those contracts:
	
		
			  Contract  Amount paid (£000) 
			  Recruitment Services  
			 2005-06 92.6 
			 2006-07 202.5 
			   
			  Recruitment Services  
			 2007-08 576.0 
			 2008-09 90.0 
			   
			  Training Services  
			 2008-09 9.9 
			   
			  Recruitment Services  
			 2009-10 (1)- 
			   
			  Training Services  
			 2009-10 (1)- 
			 (1) The total amount spent in 2009-10 is not yet available. 
		
	
	The Treasury has no contracts with Capita Group plc that terminate after 2010. No contracts between The Treasury and Capita Group plc have been cancelled before completion and Capita has not been liable for any penalties arising from failings in the administration of contracts since 2005.

Capital Gains Tax

Andrew George: To ask Chancellor of the Exchequer if HM Revenue and Customs will undertake a review of the Capital Gains Tax rules as they apply to  (a) hon. Members and  (b) others selling second homes.

Stephen Timms: Tax policy changes are considered through the Budget process in the usual way. The Government consider a range of factors when formulating tax policy and keeps all aspects of the tax system under review.

Coinage: Counterfeit Manufacturing

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to minimise counterfeiting of the coinage.

Ian Pearson: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Romford (Andrew Rosindell) on 3 November 2009,  Official Report, column 894W.

Departmental Domestic Visits

David Simpson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on how many occasions he visited  (a) Scotland,  (b) Wales and  (c) Northern Ireland in an official capacity in the last 12 months.

Ian Pearson: Treasury Ministers' officials official duties entail visits throughout the United Kingdom.

Departmental Consultants

Oliver Heald: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many external consultants work for his Department.

Ian Pearson: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the former Exchequer Secretary (Angela Eagle) on 24 April 2009,  Official Report, column 983W to the hon. Member for Twickenham (Dr. Cable).

Departmental Contracts

Don Touhig: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what criteria his Department uses in determining the award of contracts; and how much his Department has spent on the advertisement of tenders for Government contracts since 1997.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Treasury awards contracts on the basis of best value for money. Value for money is defined as the optimum combination of quality and whole life costs. The specific criteria used to determine the best value for money is decided on a contract by contract basis.
	Advertised tenders are usually placed in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) or the Supply2Gov website. Only in exceptional circumstances are tenders advertised elsewhere. The costs of any such advertising are not recorded centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

EU Public Procurement Directive

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which  (a) companies and  (b) organisations have made representations to his Department on the exclusion of companies found guilty of corruption from public tenders following the implementation of the EU Public Procurement Directive 2004/18/EC; and if he will place in the Library a copy of each written representation received.

Ian Pearson: holding answer 2 December 2009
	HM Treasury has no record of any such representations having been made to this Department.

Revenue and Customs: Telephone Services

Mark Oaten: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will commission research into the effect on the amount people would pay for calls to HM Revenue and Customs helplines with 0845 prefixes if they were changed to numbers with 0300 prefixes.

Stephen Timms: holding answer 30 November 2009
	There is no single numbering solution that meets all of HM Revenue and Customs' (HMRC) customers' needs, as call charges to customers are dependent on the tariff arrangements they have with their service provider, the device they use for the call and the location from which they call.
	HMRC will continue to keep this area under review as part of its numbering strategy and its work looking at longer term options for its telephone service.

Taxation: Gaming Machines

Paul Rowen: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the revenue to accrue to the Exchequer from taxes on gaming machines in the 12 months following the introduction of a gross profits tax.

Ian Pearson: No such estimate has been made. The Government recently concluded a consultation on the taxation of gaming machines, and the responses received are being analysed by Treasury officials. No decisions will be taken on the future of gaming machines taxation until this analysis is complete.

Taxation: Gaming Machines

Paul Rowen: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much revenue has been collected in amusement machine licence duty from  (a) bingo halls,  (b) social clubs and  (c) public houses in the last 12 months.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The total annual and monthly receipts from Amusement Machine Licence Duty can be found in the HM Revenue and Customs Betting and Gaming Statistical Bulletin, which is available from the HMRC
	website at:
	http://www.uktradeinfo.co.uk/index.cfm?task=bullbett
	Information on receipts broken down by class of trader is not available.

Trust Ports

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his policy is on the hypothecation of revenue raised from privatisation of trust ports; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Clark: I have been asked to reply.
	Under the Ports Act 1991 a trust port privatising must form a successor company and make a transfer scheme for the Secretary of State's approval after a public consultation. A levy is chargeable on the disposal by the port authority of the securities of the successor company. We would consider the allocation of sale proceeds at the time that any voluntary privatisation scheme was submitted to the Department for Transport. We would also consider the desirability of encouraging allocation of equity to managers and employees of the port.

VAT: Business

Stephen Williams: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the cost to small businesses of amending their  (a) accounting systems and  (b) marketing materials for the purposes of implementing the change in the rate of Value Added Tax announced in the Pre-Budget Report.

Stephen Timms: The Impact Assessment published at 2008 Pre-Budget Report provides an estimate of the compliance costs, and is available at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/pbr08 vat_1845.pdf

Welfare Tax Credits

James Clappison: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many and what proportion of those in receipt of  (a) working tax credit and  (b) child tax credit pay income tax.

Stephen Timms: Tax credits are part of the tax system, and deliver financial support which, overall, ensures that four out of 10 families with children in the UK pay no net tax.
	Ignoring the effect of this financial support and considering only the gross amount of tax paid, it is estimated that 1.7 million households, accounting for 81 per cent. of households in receipt of working tax credits, contain at least one adult who is paying income tax. It is also estimated that 4.7 million households, accounting for 75 per cent. of households in receipt of child tax credits, contain at least one adult who is paying income tax.

Welfare Tax Credits: Hampstead and Highgate

Glenda Jackson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many children in Hampstead and Highgate constituency  (a) have been and  (b) are currently in households in receipt of (i) working families tax credit and (ii) child tax credit.

Stephen Timms: Child and Working Tax Credits were introduced in April 2003 when they replaced Working Families' Tax Credits.
	The latest information on the number of children in families benefiting from tax credits, by each parliamentary constituency, is available in the HM Revenue and Customs snapshot publication Child and Working Tax Credits Statistics. Geographical Analyses. April 2009, available:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/cwtc-geog-apr09.pdf
	Information on the number of children who have ever been in households in receipt of tax credits is available only at disproportionate cost.

CABINET OFFICE

Census

Nick Hurd: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  whether the Information Commissioner was consulted on the preparation of the privacy impact assessment for the 2011 Census;
	(2)  how many staff in full-time equivalent  (a) media and public relations,  (b) marketing and  (c) communications posts in the (i) Cabinet Office, (ii) Office for National Statistics, (iii) UK Statistics Authority and (iv) Central Office of Information have been assigned to work on the 2011 Census;
	(3)  what external  (a) media and public relations,  (b) marketing,  (c) communications and  (d) advertising firms and consultants have been contracted for the purposes of the 2011 Census; and what the monetary value is of such contracts;
	(4)  what the monetary value is of the Office for National Statistics' contract with Elmwood to develop branding for the 2011 census;
	(5)  what the  (a) marketing,  (b) communications and  (c) advertising budget is for the 2011 Census;
	(6)  what final estimate was made of the  (a) error and  (b) non-response rate in respect of the 2001 Census;
	(7)  whether the UK Statistics Authority plans to take steps to discourage campaigns which actively promote giving false or frivolous answers to the 2011 Census;
	(8)  what discussions the  (a) Cabinet Office,  (b) UK Statistics Authority and  (c) Office of National Statistics has had with the Commission for Equality and Human Rights on the inclusion of questions on sexual orientation in the 2011 Census;
	(9)  what representations the  (a) Cabinet Office,  (b) Office for National Statistics and  (c) UK Statistics Authority has received on the classification of Sikhs in the 2001 Census; and if she will make a statement;
	(10)  if she will place in the Library a copy of the  (a) guidance issued in the 2001 Census and  (b) draft guidance to be issued in respect of the 2011 Census on the application of the provisions of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act in communications with residents who decline to answer Census questions;
	(11)  what recent discussions she has had at EU level on proposals to harmonise census exercises across the EU;
	(12)  what targets have been set to measure performance in respect of the undertaking of the 2011 Census; and what value for money criteria have been applied in respect of that census.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Jil Matheson, dated December 2009:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent questions regarding the 2011 Census. I have grouped together the responses to those questions where there are common themes.
	(i) The Office of the Information Commissioner was consulted on the preparation of the privacy impact assessment for the 2011 Census. (302264)
	(ii) The numbers of Office for National Statistics staff working full time on the 2011 Census are:
	(a) media and public relations 9
	(b) marketing and publicity 8
	(c) communications 6
	There is no one in the UK Statistics Authority working full time on the 2011 Census.(302265)
	(iii, iv, v) The total budget for communications with the general public (including the marketing and advertising costs) is anticipated to be £16.8 million for the period 2005-2015. This includes all staff and contractor costs. The main contracts are with:
	Bray Leino for advertising (including design and media buying) (£10.1 million);
	Four Communications (£800,000) and Linstock (£553,000) for other marketing services (including pubic relations and market research);
	Elmwood for delivering the branding for the 2011 Census (£139,000);
	Big Mouth for online consultancy (£30,000);
	together with a number of other smaller contracts. (302269, 302131, 302566)
	(vi) (a) In total, adjustments due to errors in the 2001 Census made after publication of the results in September 2002 amounted to 275,000 people-a difference of 0.5 per cent
	(b) The non-response rate in the 2001 Census was estimated to be 6.1 per cent of people. Adjustments for this non-response are included in the published results
	A report of the assessment of the quality of the 2001 Census in England and Wales in terms of coverage, non-response and response error was published in 2005 and laid before Parliament. A copy is available at:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/census2001/methodology.asp
	(302266)
	(vii) The UK Statistics Authority, through its Executive body the Office for National Statistics, plans to undertake both national and local publicity to emphasise the value and importance to the public of the results of the 2011 Census and the legal obligation on the public to provide complete and accurate responses. This publicity will include an active response to any such campaigns. (302267)
	(viii, ix) Representations to the Cabinet Office and the UK Statistics Authority from stakeholders on the inclusion of particular questions in the 2011 Census have all been directed to the Office for National Statistics.
	The Equalities and Human Rights Commission, and the former bodies that have since been incorporated into it, have made representations to ONS proposing the inclusion of a question relating to sexual identity through:
	verbal representations at one of the several Census Advisory Groups set up by ONS to consult regularly with a wide range of stakeholders;
	written submissions in response to the programme of consultation on census topics in 2005;
	in a letter to ONS in 2008; and
	a bilateral meeting with ONS in June 2008
	Neither the Cabinet Office nor the UK Statistics Authority (which was only created in 2008) would have received representations on the classification of Sikhs in the 2001 Census, but ONS took account of representations from a number of organisations in considering the inclusion of Sikh and other tick box categories in the religion question. Such organisations included:
	Church of England
	Inner Cities Religious Council;
	Inter-Faith Network for the United Kingdom
	Council of Churches for Britain and Ireland
	Board of Deputies of British Jews
	Network of Buddhist Organisations
	Network of Sikh Organisations UK
	UK Action Committee on Islamic Affairs
	National Council of Hindu Temples, Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe
	The Free Church Federal Council
	Baha'i Community
	(302270, 302284)
	(x) There are no plans to place such guidance in the Library. ONS considers any such guidance to be covered by legal and professional privilege, and that its publication may have a detrimental effect on ONS's public responsibilities and may adversely affect any potential prosecution undertaken in respect of anyone refusing to make a census return. (302271)
	(xi) Representatives of the Office for National Statistics have been fully involved in discussions with Eurostat to agree a core set of information requirements across the EU in terms of the definitions used, question wording, and the content of statistical outputs for the 2011 round of European censuses.
	No proposals have been made to harmonise the way in which such information should be collected. (302272)
	(xii) The provisional targets for the 2011 Census are that the overall response rates should be at least as high as that for the 2001 Census (94 per cent), and that the response rates in the lowest 5 per cent of local authorities in 2001 should be increased to at least 80 per cent. These will be reviewed in the light of the 2009 Census rehearsal and reported in the business case for the Census to be published in spring 2010.
	Value for money has been assessed in terms of the financial impact that, in the absence of a census, errors in population statistics would have on the national decision making process that the census information supports, including resource allocation from central government to local authorities and primary care trusts, and the investment decisions made by commercial companies relating to store location and product ranges.
	The financial benefits realised by the Census significantly outweigh its costs. This is detailed in the Census business case, which has been reviewed by HM Treasury and the Office for Government Commerce.
	A précis of this analysis was made available to the Lords Committee on the Merits of Statutory Instruments when it considered the Draft Census Order in October, and published in its 29th Report of the 2008-09 Session on 5 November 2009, a copy of which is available at
	http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/Id200809/Idselect/Idmerit/Idmerit.htm
	(302273)

Census

Nick Hurd: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  if she will place in the Library a copy of the results of the Census pilot undertaken in 2007;
	(2)  if she will place in the Library a copy of the communication plan and strategy for the 2011 Census;
	(3)  if she will place in the Library a copy of the business case for the 2011 Census;
	(4)  what timetable has been set for the printing of the household forms for the 2011 Census;
	(5)  how many staff will be hired for the purposes of undertaking door-to-door communications for the 2011 Census;
	(6)  whether contracts let in respect of the 2011 Census include break clauses;
	(7)  assessment has been made of the merits of using existing public sector and commercial datasets to replace the  (a) 2011 Census and  (b) 2021 Census;
	(8)  what estimate was made of the number and proportion of illegal immigrants who completed the 2001 Census; and whether she has made an assessment of the likely effect of the proposed inclusion of new questions on citizenship and intention to remain in the UK on the number of illegal immigrants who complete the 2011 Census;
	(9)  what the response rate was  (a) in absolute numbers,  (b) as a percentage of postal surveys sent and  (c) as a percentage of the resident population in each of the four areas in the 2009 Census rehearsal;
	(10)  for what reasons each question which was included in the 2001 Census and which is not proposed to be included in the 2011 Census has not been included in that Census;
	(11)  what estimate she has made of the cost to the public purse of questions to be included in the 2011 Census which were not contained in the 2001 Census.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	 Letter from Jil Matheson, dated December 2009:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent questions regarding the 2011 Census. I have grouped together the responses to those questions where there are common themes.
	(i,ii,iii) Information on the evaluation of the 2007 Census test is already available from the ONS website at
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/census/2011-census/2011-census-project/2007-test---summary-evaluation-report.doc
	and is thus available to the Library.
	ONS has not published an overarching communications strategy or plan. Instead, many smaller more detailed plans are currently used within the census programme to deal with specific issues.
	However, Chapter 2 of the Government's White Paper Helping to shape tomorrow (Cm 7513), published in December 2008, deals with the programme of consultation at paragraphs 2.1-2.12. Paragraphs 4.45-4.53 in Chapter 4 cover local authority and community liaison, and paragraphs 4.67-4.73 summarise the publicity and marketing work being undertaken.
	The 2011 Census business case, which has already been scrutinised by HM Treasury and the Office for Government Commerce, is still a working document until final decisions on census operational issues have been made following a full analysis of the Census Rehearsal.
	As noted above in answer to Question 302273, the business case is scheduled for publication in the spring 2010 and will be placed in the House of Commons Library at that time. It was made available to the Public Administration Select Committee in June 2009 for its hearing on the Census (but not put into the public domain because of the commercial in confidence information it contains), but a precis was made available to the Lords Committee on the Merits of Statutory Instruments when it considered the draft Census Order in October and published in its 29th Report of the 2008-09 Session on 5 November.(302274, 302294 and 302431)
	(iv) The content and layout of the questionnaires are scheduled to be finalised in mid December 2009 after the Draft Census Order has been approved. Contractors will start the initial printing of the 30 million or more forms in mid-March 2010 and complete this in July. This timetable enables sufficient time for the data capture system, designed on the basis of the printed forms, to be competed and fully tested. (302275)
	(v) Some 35,000 temporary field staff will be employed:
	to deliver the 5 per cent of census questionnaires that will not be delivered via the postal service;
	to visit households to remind then to return their questionnaire and to offer any assistance; and
	to collect questionnaires from communal establishments. (302276)
	(vi) Yes. Every commercial contract agreed in respect of the 2011 Census programme contains break clauses. This is normal public procurement practice. As the majority of contracts are fixed price, ONS would incur financial penalties if these break clauses were invoked for reasons other than poor contractor performance. (302277)
	(vii) In 2003, the Office for National Statistics undertook a strategic review of a number of possible alternative ways of collecting the type of information traditionally provided by a census to meet users' needs. ONS concluded that there were no sufficiently comprehensive or proven alternative sources of such information and that conducting a traditional census in 2011 was the only viable way to collect and provide the range of information required to the level of quality demanded. The findings of the review can be found at
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/Product.asp?vlnk=10784
	ONS are currently investigating alternative approaches to collecting such information beyond 2011. (302278)
	(viii) No estimate has been made of the number and proportions of illegal immigrants who completed the 2001 Census. The final results were adjusted to take account of the estimated non-response across all population groups.
	Similarly, the 2011 Census will make no attempt to identify specifically people who are living here illegally.
	ONS has assessed the potential impact of inclusion of the citizenship and intended length of stay questions through a postal test including 10,000 households sampled from areas with high number of migrants, and through focus groups and interviews with recent migrants commissioned from the National Centre for Social Research. No impact on response rates was found The results of the research can be found at
	http://www.ons.gov.uk/census/2011-census/2011-census-questionnaire-content/recommended-questions---migration.pdf
	(302279)
	(ix) Participation in the Census rehearsal is voluntary, which suppresses response rate considerably. The operation is not yet complete. As at 25 November 2009 response rates were as shown in the table below:
	
		
			  Areas  Number of questionnaire returned  Percentage of questionnaires returned 
			 Lancaster 23,127 39 
			 Newham 7,424 21 
			 Anglesey 14,081 42 
			 Combined total 44,632 35 
			 Birmingham 3,570 21 
		
	
	Birmingham was not formally a part of the rehearsal, but questionnaires were distributed to households in Birmingham in order to test different field operation management structures.
	The numbers of people included in returned questionnaires will not be known until the questionnaires have been processed, which is due for completion in spring 2010. (302280)
	(x) As detailed in the Government's White Paper Helping to shape tomorrow, published in December 2008, the 2001 Census questions on household amenities and professional qualifications are not being included in the 2011 Census.
	The previous long-standing census question on whether or not households have exclusive use of either a bath/shower or toilet amenities, or both, is no longer regarded as providing a sufficiently discriminative indicator in the allocation of resources for housing development and regeneration.
	Nor will the 2001 question on whether people have specific professional qualifications such as teaching, medical, nursing and/or dental qualifications be included. Consultation indicated that sufficient information to meet users' needs could be collected by the inclusion of a single tick-box for 'professional qualifications' to be recorded in the qualifications question.
	In addition, the 2001 questions on lowest floor level of the household's accommodation and the number of people employed at the person's place of work are also not being retained. Consultation with users has indicated that there is less of a requirement for this information compared with other Census topics being proposed. (302282)
	(xi) It is not possible to identify the specific cost of including those questions that are new to the Census in 2011. The cost of adding a fourth page of questions per person to the household questionnaire is £24 million. This does not equate to the direct cost of the new questions, as the previous three pages per person questionnaire on which the comparison is based contained a mix of 2001 and new questions, but it is the best available estimate. (302295)

Census

Nick Hurd: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  what the minimum duration of stay is that will require an individual to register as an overnight guest and disclose name, sex and date of birth in the 2011 Census; whether overnight guests who are children will be required to register; whether guests at a house party will be required to register; and what personal liability householders will have should overnight guests refuse to disclose personal information;
	(2)  whether hotels and bed and breakfast establishments will be required to register their overnight guests and disclose information on name, sex and date of birth for the 2011 Census;
	(3)  how many pages long were the  (a) individual and  (b) household forms in each of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland for the (i) 1991 Census and (ii) 2001 Census; and what the estimated page length is for each of those in the 2011 Census based on the (A) Census rehearsal and (B) subsequent planning;
	(4)  what the estimated error rate is for the 2011 Census exercise in relation to the questions on the number of bedrooms; and whether the information on the number of bedrooms will be cross-referenced with any other dataset separate from the 2011 Census;
	(5)  how much and what proportion of the budget for the 2011 Census had  (a) been spent,  (b) been allocated for expenditure and  (b) not been allocated on the latest date for which figures are available;
	(6)  what assessment she has made of the reasons for the difference between the likely cost of the 2011 Census and the cost of the 2001 Census;
	(7)  what the cost to the public purse was of the  (a) 1991 Census and  (b) 2001 Census in (i) cash terms and (ii) real terms in 2009 prices.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	 Letter from Jil Matheson, dated December 2009:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent questions regarding the 2011 Census. I have grouped together the responses to those questions where there are common themes.
	i) What the minimum duration of stay is that will require an individual to register as an overnight guest, including name, sex and date of birth in the 2011 Census; whether overnight guests who are children will be required to register; whether guests at a house party will be required to register; and what personal liability householders will have should overnight guests refuse to disclose personal information. 302427
	ii) Whether hotels and bed and breakfast establishments will be required to register their overnight guests, including information on name, sex and date of birth, for the 2011 Census. 302454
	iii) How many pages long were the (a) individual and (b) household forms in each of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland for the (i) 1991 Census and (ii) 2001 Census; and what the estimated page length is for each of those in the 2011 Census based on the (A) Census Rehearsal and (B) subsequent planning. 302428
	iv) What the estimated error rate is for the 2011 Census exercise in relation to the questions on the number of bedrooms; and whether the information on the number of bedrooms will be cross-referenced with any other dataset separate from the 2011 Census. 302429
	v) How much and what proportion of the budget for the 2011 Census had (a) been spent, (b) been allocated for expenditure and (b) not been allocated on the latest date for which figures are available. 302281
	vi) What assessment she has made of the reasons for the difference between the cost of the 2011 Census and the cost of the 2001 Census. 302283
	vii) What the cost to the public purse was of the (a) 1991 Census and (b) 2001 Census in (i) cash terms and (ii) real terms in 2009 prices. 302489
	i,ii)As in all previous censuses (but with the exception of 2001) in addition to recording information for all usual residents at an address on census night, householders are required to record the details of any non-resident persons present on census night, including children and house party guests if they stay overnight. In these previous censuses the same set of information as collected from usual residents has been required from such visitors; for 2011, however, only the limited set of four questions will be asked to reduce the burden.
	The minimum duration of stay that will require an individual to be recorded as a visitor is the night of Sunday 27 March 2011.
	Subject to Parliamentary approval of the secondary legislation for the 2011 Census, the householder is legally liable to ensure that a complete return is made in respect of every resident and visitor present on census night. However, it would be an offence for anyone present in a household on census night to refuse to provide the relevant information to the householder.
	Managers of hotels, bed and breakfast establishments, and guest houses that can only accommodate fewer than ten guests are required to record the visitor information for overnight guests. However, managers of such premises that can accommodate ten or more guests are required only to record the number of any visitors staying overnight. No details of such visitors will be recorded. (302427, 302454)
	iii) The household form for the 2011 Census in England and Wales will comprise four pages of questions relating to the household itself, four pages of questions for each household member with space for up to six household members, and an additional page available to record some information about visitors. The form also contains three pages of notes and instructions to assist the form filler, amounting to 32 pages in total.
	The form is thus the same length as used in the Census Rehearsal, and is 12 pages more than the 2001 form. While the inclusion of some of additional questions has lengthened the form, a more significant factor in its increased size is its redesign in order to:
	accommodate an additional household member so as to reduce the number of continuation forms required for larger households; and
	make it easier to complete, specifically by introducing two columns of questions per page instead of the three adopted in 2001 and an additional page of notes and instructions.
	The 1991 household form comprised 12 pages but was in a completely different matrix format and printed in a smaller font.
	The individual person form for 2011 contains four pages of questions plus three pages of notes and instructions, compared with three and a half pages of questions and half a page of notes in both the 2001 and 1991 Censuses.
	The census is a devolved matter in Scotland and Northern Ireland, but I understand from the respective Registrars General that the intention is that the 2011 Census questionnaires there should be of a similar length, except that, because of the smaller average household size the household form in Scotland will accommodate only five household members.(302428)
	iv) In a postal test including a random sample of 10,000 households in Spring 2009 the question on number of bedrooms was completed by 98.1 per cent of respondents. Testing of the question with individual respondents has not raised any significant quality concerns about their ability or willingness to complete this question accurately.
	Data at the individual household record level will not be disclosed or cross-referenced with any other data sources.
	Statistics from the question on bedrooms will be used by the Department for Communities and Local Government as a measure of overcrowding to support the measurement of one of its strategic objectives to improve the supply, environmental performance and quality of housing that is more responsive to the needs of individuals, communities and the economy.
	There are two standards previously used to inform whether or not a home is statutorily overcrowded, the 'space standard' and the 'room standard', Government amendments to the 2004 Housing Act provide for the standards to be amended to include a 'bedroom standard'. Its use in helping to measure the number of people living in overcrowded accommodation is set out in the 2007 CLG Action Plan Tackling overcrowding in England, which can be found at
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/housing/Overcrowdinqactionplan
	(302429)
	v,vi,vii) As published in December 2008 in the Government's White Paper Helping to shape tomorrow, the total estimated budget for the 2011 Census is £482 million, of which £450 million has already been agreed, and £32 million is still subject to future spending reviews.
	All of the budget that is already agreed has been allocated, with around 20 per cent already spent and a further 50 per cent committed to fixed price contracts.
	The cost of the 2011 Census has been analysed in the full business case referred to above. The difference between this and the cost of the 2001 Census is mainly due to:
	inflation
	growth in population and the number of households
	the development of a comprehensive national address register
	the development of a questionnaire tracking system
	the inclusion of an additional page of questions per person
	the development of an online questionnaire completion system
	more intensive follow-up in areas with low initial response
	The total costs of the 1991 and 2001 Censuses were £117 million and £207 million respectively. To create costs for the 1991 and 2001 Censuses that are comparable to the 2011 Census it is necessary to take into account:
	the growth in the population
	general inflation
	wage inflation for field staff salary costs
	Taking these factors into account, equivalent comparators to the 2011 Census cost of £482m are estimated to be £305m for the 1991 Census and £350m for the 2001 Census. (302281, 302283, 302489)

Census

Nick Hurd: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  what safeguards her Department has put in place to ensure that the US administration will not be able to access or monitor Census data stored or processed by Lockheed Martin;
	(2)  what steps her Department is taking to ensure that the 2011 Census adopts the principles of data minimisation recommended by the Thomas and Walport Review of data sharing;
	(3)  what access Government Departments and their agencies will have to non-anonymised personal data collected in the 2011 Census;
	(4)  with reference to the written ministerial statement of 21 October 2009,  Official Report, columns 55-56WS, on the draft Census (England and Wales) Order 2009, what data sources are being used to populate the central address register; and what use will be made of the central register in  (a) England and  (b) Wales following the 2011 Census;
	(5)  with reference to the Explanatory Note to the draft Census (England and Wales) Order 2009, what data were taken into account in determining that the provisions of the Order would not have an impact on the private or voluntary sector.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Jil Matheson, dated December 2009:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent questions regarding the 2011 Census. I have grouped together the responses to those questions where there are common themes.
	i) What guarantees or agreements her Department has obtained from the US Administration that the US Administration will not be able to access or monitor Census data stored or processed by Lockheed Martin. 302487
	ii) What steps the Minister's Department is taking to ensure that the 2011 Census adopts the Principles of Data Minimisation as recommended by the Thomas and Walport Review of data sharing. 302488
	iii) What access Government departments and their agencies will have to non-anonymised personal data collected in the 2011 Census. 302485
	iv) With reference to the Written Ministerial Statement of 21 October 2009, Official Report, columns 55-56WS, on the Draft Census (England and Wales) Order 2009, what data sources are being used to populate the central address register; and what use will be made of the central register in (a) England and (b) Wales following the 2011 Census. 302490
	v) With reference to the Explanatory Note to the Draft Census (England and Wales) Order 2009, what data were taken into account in determining that the provisions of the order would not have an impact on the private or voluntary sector. (302268)
	i) In its response to the Treasury Committee's 2008 report on its enquiry into Counting the population, the Government noted that it did not consider it necessary or appropriate to consult the US authorities on this issue.
	ONS has put in place rigorous organisational and contractual arrangements for data capture and processing to ensure that personal Census data will remain secure and confidential. The measures in place include:
	all Census data is owned by ONS and both Census employees and contractors working on the Census sign a declaration of confidentiality to guarantee their understanding and compliance with the law;
	contractual arrangements with Lockheed Martin UK Ltd ensure that only sub-contractors registered and based in the UK and either UK or EU owned will have access to any personal Census data;
	no Lockheed Martin staff (from either the US parent or UK company) will have access to any personal Census data; and
	all data will be processed in the UK and remain in the UK.
	Further details of the arrangements can be found on the National Statistics website at the following links:
	http://www.ons.gov.uk/census/2011-census/2011-census-project/commitment-to-confidentiality/index.html
	http://www.ons.gov.uk/census/2011-census/2011-census-project/census-data-security-measures/index.html
	http://www.ons.gov.uk/census/2011-census/2011-census-project/census-data-confidentiality-and-uk-law/index.html
	As has become the practice for previous censuses an independent review of the security and confidentiality arrangements covering the collection and processing of census questionnaires will be carried out before the Census. (302487)
	ii, iii) The measures that it has put in place to safeguard and maintain the confidentiality of personal census information (and which are set out in Chapter 6 of the Government's White Paper Helping to shape tomorrow) comply fully with the recommendations of the Data Sharing Review and, at the same time, the relevant legislation to protect such confidentiality.
	All personal census information is protected generally from unlawful disclosure by the provision of the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007, and there is a long-standing policy, reaffirmed in the White Paper to make this available for public access only after 100 years.
	No government departments or agencies will have access to non-anonymised census data. (302488  302485)
	iv) ONS has agreed a national data sharing agreement with Local Government Information House (the National Land and Property Gazetteer supplier), the Royal Mail and Ordnance Survey as well as checking the resulting address list against Valuation Office Agency data.
	ONS will cross-match the address lists received from the respective bodies and ask the address list suppliers and local authorities to help to resolve any mismatches and queries.
	The data sharing agreement covers uses only for the 2011 Census. However, in developing the matching and verification processes, ONS has been mindful of the need to try to ensure that these processes could be reused in other circumstances. (302490)
	v) No specific data were analysed in coming to the decision that the census would not impact on the private or voluntary sector. ONS explained the reasoning for this decision in section 10 of the Explanatory Memorandum, which states:
	The impact on business, charities or voluntary bodies of this legislation is considered to be minimal. This is because the purpose of the Census is not to collect business data, and the only impact on business will be asking persons in charge of commercial communal establishments, to make a return in respect of the establishment and of any residents or inmates residing within their premises, who are unable to make a return for themselves.
	As no business or voluntary body is required to undertake any duty that ONS believes might prove either detrimental to their work, might significantly delay their normal day-to-day business or place any additional cost upon them, other than asking the manager of any commercial establishment to hand out and collect questionnaires to any usual residents and then complete a short questionnaire in respect of their establishment, ONS believes that the 2011 Census impact on the private or voluntary sector will be minimal.
	ONS took advice from the Better Regulations Unit, now part of the Department for Business, Innovations and Skills on this matter. (302268)

Central Office of Information

Nick Hurd: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what advertiser-funded programming agreements the Central Office of Information has facilitated in the last 12 months; and what the  (a) purpose and  (b) cost was of each of the programmes.

Dawn Butler: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Central Office of Information. I have asked the chief executive to reply.
	A copy of this letter will be placed in the Library.

Central Office of Information: Expenditure

Nick Hurd: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office for what reasons the Central Office of Information's expenditure increased by £163 million in 2008-09 compared with 2007-08.

Dawn Butler: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Central Office of Information. I have asked the chief executive to reply.
	A copy of this letter will be placed in the Library.

Central Office of Information: Public Relations

Nick Hurd: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much the Central Office of Information spent on public relations, marketing and advertising  (a) including and  (b) excluding Directgov, consultations and interactive services in 2008-09.

Dawn Butler: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Central Office of Information. I have asked the chief executive to reply.
	A copy of this letter will be placed in the Library.

Copyright

Nick Hurd: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether the Government have  (a) copyright and  (b) trademark protection over the (i) Building Britain's Future and (ii) Real Help Now (A) phrases and (B) associated logos.

Dawn Butler: Building Britain's Future and Real Help Now have not been registered as trademarks. However, where copyright works are produced by civil servants, or where specific provision is made in the commissioning contract for the copyright in such commissioned works to be assigned or transferred to the Crown, the copyright is owned by the Crown.

Death: Aortic Aneurysm

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many deaths of  (a) males and  (b) females in each age group in each region were attributed wholly or in part to abdominal aortic aneurysms in the last 10 years.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Jil Matheson:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many deaths of (a) males and (b) females in each age group in each region were attributed wholly or in part to abdominal aortic aneurysms in the last 10 years (302398)
	The tables attached provide the number of deaths where abdominal aortic aneurysm was the underlying cause of death (Table 1) or mentioned anywhere on the death certificate (Table 2), by sex and age group, for government office regions in England, for the years 1999 to 2008 (the latest year available). Table 2 includes all deaths where abdominal aortic aneurysm was either the underlying cause of death or a contributory factor.
	
		
			  Table 1. Number of deaths where abdominal aortic aneurysm was the underlying cause of death, by sex and age group, Government office regions in England, 1999-2008( 1,2,3) 
			  Deaths 
			  Government office region  Sex  Age group  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008 
			 North East Males Under 65 15 9 8 7 8 9 6 6 8 8 
			   65-69 19 22 17 13 21 14 20 17 17 15 
			   70-74 28 28 37 29 37 29 26 23 34 23 
			   75-79 41 48 36 39 46 41 35 36 26 47 
			   80-84 21 27 33 31 32 48 41 50 54 28 
			   85+ 29 29 30 27 35 30 28 26 45 37 
			  Females Under 65 3 0 3 3 2 4 0 1 1 2 
			   65-69 8 8 4 5 5 4 5 2 2 3 
			   70-74 13 11 10 12 18 16 11 14 8 16 
			   75-79 22 31 31 18 24 29 23 22 20 22 
			   80-84 14 21 19 24 24 30 31 26 24 16 
			   85+ 18 21 16 27 32 27 38 33 43 36 
			  
			 North West Males Under 65 36 39 33 30 37 26 30 25 25 24 
			   65-69 46 45 52 47 55 48 49 39 39 46 
			   70-74 98 96 88 90 84 67 74 63 72 62 
			   75-79 104 107 99 112 110 101 90 89 87 92 
			   80-84 91 85 92 85 94 115 123 89 89 79 
			   85+ 60 81 85 82 52 74 75 67 98 99 
			  Females Under 65 3 8 5 7 2 6 6 5 3 5 
			   65-69 14 11 10 10 9 8 13 9 11 8 
			   70-74 31 34 25 26 20 27 21 25 23 19 
			   75-79 53 60 44 56 55 50 37 37 49 41 
			   80-84 47 55 35 44 66 61 56 38 63 58 
			   85+ 63 67 78 85 68 71 70 76 83 88 
			  
			 Yorkshire and the Humber Males Under 65 20 20 23 17 20 22 18 19 16 17 
			   65-69 43 36 33 33 25 35 28 29 19 16 
			   70-74 74 79 54 59 61 54 50 49 51 48 
			   75-79 73 89 73 70 68 73 71 62 75 66 
			   80-84 57 58 65 64 80 74 72 66 76 62 
			   85+ 49 61 51 57 55 59 49 74 56 71 
			  Females Under 65 5 2 2 0 3 1 2 3 1 2 
			   65-69 6 6 10 8 8 6 3 7 5 4 
			   70-74 17 24 27 21 21 18 14 15 14 11 
			   75-79 52 39 35 36 27 38 34 28 30 29 
			   80-84 29 28 44 38 62 38 42 56 43 41 
			   85+ 41 43 58 57 58 59 48 74 68 62 
			  
			 East Midlands Males Under 65 27 11 24 22 22 11 23 19 18 13 
			   65-69 50 31 43 31 37 39 29 24 24 23 
			   70-74 70 59 59 58 54 45 43 44 40 42 
			   75-79 77 91 72 96 90 62 50 63 65 60 
			   80-84 42 67 64 80 75 85 70 72 73 64 
			   85+ 55 41 45 48 64 53 49 53 59 53 
			  Females Under 65 2 3 3 2 1 0 1 0 3 2 
			   65-69 6 5 5 5 7 9 4 5 5 2 
			   70-74 15 15 14 11 14 13 9 10 8 12 
			   75-79 28 31 34 24 36 30 15 19 21 19 
			   80-84 21 34 36 23 27 39 34 38 29 33 
			   85+ 34 47 52 49 43 51 55 51 50 45 
			  
			 West Midlands Males Under 65 33 30 21 32 25 25 30 18 26 13 
			   65-69 36 33 30 39 29 38 37 41 27 28 
			   70-74 65 75 74 69 40 62 59 42 52 40 
			   75-79 104 86 88 99 92 103 81 73 76 60 
			   80-84 68 59 63 84 97 80 80 66 61 77 
			   85+ 72 48 66 51 58 78 59 59 74 75 
			  Females Under 65 2 3 1 3 2 1 3 3 0 4 
			   65-69 5 6 5 7 9 6 3 7 7 4 
			   70-74 22 20 24 20 16 19 21 17 12 12 
			   75-79 37 30 43 34 34 36 36 30 23 28 
			   80-84 44 20 32 41 52 36 41 43 32 49 
			   85+ 46 56 50 41 43 61 53 44 57 58 
			  
			 East of England Males Under 65 34 17 23 38 29 34 23 28 21 12 
			   65-69 58 57 42 42 38 39 37 33 31 25 
			   70-74 86 74 67 69 66 66 53 52 52 66 
			   75-79 115 96 113 101 97 102 100 88 82 82 
			   80-84 72 97 105 98 118 104 90 84 88 73 
			   85+ 59 65 68 94 83 72 82 101 99 88 
			  Females Under 65 1 1 0 4 2 1 1 4 0 1 
			   65-69 6 8 6 4 5 8 3 6 4 5 
			   70-74 24 16 20 21 19 12 16 15 11 9 
			   75-79 34 29 40 42 35 41 26 30 24 20 
			   80-84 28 44 35 45 49 55 56 55 42 37 
			   85+ 56 53 59 56 73 62 55 62 61 73 
			  
			 London Males Under 65 35 24 27 29 25 25 17 12 12 9 
			   65-69 42 50 35 38 31 25 22 22 21 16 
			   70-74 80 75 70 48 62 61 28 42 31 36 
			   75-79 114 106 99 89 78 88 57 48 59 56 
			   80-84 110 94 67 79 75 77 67 67 53 50 
			   85+ 72 80 75 64 81 72 64 65 78 57 
			  Females Under 65 1 2 5 5 4 4 3 3 1 1 
			   65-69 6 4 10 2 4 5 1 8 5 5 
			   70-74 29 19 20 11 15 9 12 8 14 12 
			   75-79 31 35 31 34 34 24 29 23 21 15 
			   80-84 37 40 39 42 52 33 36 33 36 33 
			   85+ 57 59 60 60 64 60 60 60 58 48 
			  
			 South East Males Under 65 37 38 25 37 29 29 30 30 32 16 
			   65-69 71 61 53 49 51 48 41 50 39 39 
			   70-74 117 98 116 98 83 78 108 79 84 77 
			   75-79 174 155 136 141 135 107 123 125 111 113 
			   80-84 148 135 154 155 135 173 150 120 132 113 
			   85+ 125 146 144 155 130 137 138 152 175 164 
			  Females Under 65 1 4 3 2 3 4 4 5 2 2 
			   65-69 9 11 9 7 5 9 7 10 12 5 
			   70-74 29 35 25 22 21 10 24 19 23 16 
			   75-79 58 59 55 49 48 47 43 29 32 40 
			   80-84 50 52 71 50 66 60 75 68 57 42 
			   85+ 87 103 126 102 112 99 118 118 113 97 
			  
			 South West Males Under 65 19 30 25 17 22 25 16 19 21 12 
			   65-69 36 40 33 30 38 35 27 30 27 24 
			   70-74 75 67 64 61 67 55 55 51 48 49 
			   75-79 112 108 91 79 105 76 88 82 80 60 
			   80-84 77 78 80 95 103 106 89 97 73 81 
			   85+ 70 89 89 85 78 87 93 96 121 83 
			  Females Under 65 4 0 2 4 2 0 3 2 1 2 
			   65-69 8 8 7 6 5 6 5 5 3 7 
			   70-74 14 16 17 20 17 20 15 13 13 6 
			   75-79 39 32 20 35 26 35 28 30 17 19 
			   80-84 26 43 37 45 55 52 42 32 45 38 
			   85+ 59 67 68 74 63 78 64 74 60 68 
			 (1)Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (1CD-9) codes 441.3 and 441.4 for the years 1999 and 2000, and Tenth Revision (FCD-10) codes 171.3 and 171.4 for the years 2001 onwards.  (2) Based on boundaries as of 2009.  (3) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2. Number of deaths were abdominal aortic aneurysm was mentioned anywhere on the death certificate, by sex and age group, Government office regions in England, 1999-2008( 1,2,3) 
			  Deaths 
			  Government office region  Sex  Age group  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008 
			 North East Males Under 65 15 11 11 7 9 9 7 6 9 10 
			   65-69 20 24 20 15 22 15 20 18 19 15 
			   70-74 31 28 40 34 40 32 27 26 39 29 
			   75-79 44 53 39 44 51 44 42 40 30 50 
			   80-84 28 28 40 34 39 55 44 59 64 33 
			   85+ 37 32 33 27 39 37 30 30 52 47 
			  Females Under 65 4 0 3 3 2 4 0 1 1 2 
			   65-69 9 8 5 6 7 4 6 3 3 3 
			   70-74 15 12 11 12 19 18 13 14 10 16 
			   75-79 27 32 34 20 27 34 26 27 22 24 
			   80-84 16 22 23 29 27 38 39 32 29 22 
			   85+ 21 23 18 30 35 30 42 39 48 41 
			  
			 North West Males Under 65 38 42 34 32 41 28 31 27 27 28 
			   65-69 50 52 57 51 64 52 56 45 40 50 
			   70-74 109 102 97 97 95 74 77 75 82 73 
			   75-79 124 116 120 134 126 118 106 96 98 106 
			   80-84 100 99 99 95 108 131 135 109 96 100 
			   85+ 68 91 94 99 66 86 87 89 115 117 
			  Females Under 65 5 9 5 7 2 7 6 6 3 6 
			   65-69 18 14 12 10 11 8 14 10 13 10 
			   70-74 36 36 27 30 24 28 24 29 25 21 
			   75-79 60 66 50 62 63 58 43 45 54 49 
			   80-84 49 62 43 58 69 68 66 56 73 64 
			   85+ 76 78 89 97 72 82 80 85 95 105 
			  
			 Yorkshire and the Humber Males Under 65 24 25 26 19 23 25 18 20 17 19 
			   65-69 51 41 38 36 26 39 30 33 24 18 
			   70-74 83 88 60 65 71 60 59 59 56 61 
			   75-79 82 96 82 80 84 88 81 78 86 80 
			   80-84 66 69 75 76 91 89 84 84 93 72 
			   85+ 57 64 61 69 61 64 58 88 70 83 
			  Females Under 65 5 3 2 1 3 1 2 3 1 3 
			   65-69 8 7 12 8 9 7 4 8 7 5 
			   70-74 20 28 30 25 21 19 15 18 17 13 
			   75-79 60 43 36 40 31 48 36 35 34 32 
			   80-84 34 30 48 42 69 44 45 62 54 50 
			   85+ 49 57 61 66 67 63 54 83 75 73 
			  
			 East Midlands Males Under 65 29 14 25 23 26 12 23 23 20 15 
			   65-69 57 33 49 33 39 44 32 27 27 24 
			   70-74 80 63 65 64 61 54 47 48 44 45 
			   75-79 89 101 85 105 98 75 60 72 77 64 
			   80-84 46 68 71 86 81 93 77 82 90 75 
			   85+ 60 52 54 58 73 56 58 62 66 66 
			  Females Under 65 2 3 3 2 1 1 1 0 3 2 
			   65-69 7 6 6 6 8 10 4 5 5 2 
			   70-74 15 16 16 13 17 16 9 12 8 12 
			   75-79 30 36 37 29 40 32 18 20 23 24 
			   80-84 22 38 41 27 31 44 41 41 35 37 
			   85+ 40 49 55 58 49 55 62 59 56 48 
			  
			 West Midlands Males Under 65 36 35 23 35 29 28 34 20 26 15 
			   65-69 48 40 34 42 30 40 39 45 33 34 
			   70-74 71 87 83 76 46 66 68 51 60 50 
			   75-79 113 101 101 111 103 114 93 86 89 72 
			   80-84 75 80 74 101 110 91 103 81 70 91 
			   85+ 78 53 73 62 70 88 70 79 91 95 
			  Females Under 65 3 3 2 4 3 1 3 4 0 4 
			   65-69 7 6 5 8 9 8 3 9 7 4 
			   70-74 26 24 26 20 20 19 27 21 13 15 
			   75-79 41 34 45 35 42 46 41 34 29 32 
			   80-84 51 23 38 44 57 42 54 48 43 56 
			   85+ 49 58 57 48 51 70 61 53 64 67 
			  
			 East of England Males Under 65 37 18 24 41 31 34 26 28 24 15 
			   65-69 63 60 47 47 40 43 41 36 37 28 
			   70-74 92 83 75 78 77 72 60 65 64 77 
			   75-79 128 114 120 109 110 114 109 106 100 97 
			   80-84 82 111 113 107 137 120 101 97 103 89 
			   85+ 67 76 77 108 97 82 99 112 115 102 
			  Females Under 65 1 1 0 5 2 3 2 4 1 1 
			   65-69 6 11 7 4 6 9 3 8 4 5 
			   70-74 27 19 22 23 22 14 17 17 11 12 
			   75-79 38 32 45 46 39 44 35 34 27 24 
			   80-84 34 48 39 50 53 64 63 58 46 41 
			   85+ 60 58 67 61 85 71 62 68 76 84 
			 London Males Under 65 36 29 30 29 26 28 18 15 13 11 
			   65-69 46 57 35 39 35 27 27 23 25 17 
			   70-74 91 84 78 53 72 65 32 50 40 41 
			   75-79 125 114 109 100 89 99 69 56 67 69 
			   80-84 112 110 81 94 84 94 77 79 60 61 
			   85+ 78 91 89 71 94 82 85 72 90 66 
			  Females Under 65 2 2 6 6 4 4 4 4 1 1 
			   65-69 6 5 13 3 4 6 1 8 5 5 
			   70-74 30 22 22 13 17 13 12 8 15 12 
			   75-79 32 41 31 37 37 26 32 27 26 19 
			   80-84 42 43 46 49 59 36 43 40 41 36 
			   85+ 65 65 65 68 70 72 67 64 69 57 
			  
			 South East Males Under 65 39 43 33 41 30 32 32 33 38 18 
			   65-69 81 64 55 54 57 52 46 57 41 43 
			   70-74 137 113 130 113 95 91 115 89 94 84 
			   75-79 192 174 156 164 146 124 135 139 127 126 
			   80-84 167 153 170 178 161 196 162 140 152 130 
			   85+ 144 156 164 168 149 151 151 165 201 183 
			  Females Under 65 4 6 5 2 4 4 5 6 3 2 
			   65-69 10 11 9 8 5 10 8 10 13 6 
			   70-74 31 35 30 25 27 11 27 21 24 17 
			   75-79 66 62 61 58 52 51 50 33 39 43 
			   80-84 53 56 82 55 71 70 83 76 62 47 
			   85+ 94 111 137 114 128 108 131 131 122 106 
			  
			 South West Males Under 65 21 34 26 18 28 26 16 20 21 14 
			   65-69 42 44 34 31 39 38 32 33 29 25 
			   70-74 82 78 72 74 74 63 61 59 56 54 
			   75-79 118 123 101 87 119 85 100 88 91 71 
			   80-84 85 85 87 102 114 120 100 105 92 99 
			   85+ 85 101 94 97 88 96 109 109 131 95 
			  Females Under 65 4 0 2 4 2 0 3 2 1 2 
			   65-69 8 9 7 8 7 6 5 5 4 7 
			   70-74 14 18 18 22 20 21 15 15 18 10 
			   75-79 44 35 21 39 30 37 31 36 18 23 
			   80-84 26 45 42 48 62 54 50 37 47 40 
			   85+ 64 73 75 77 69 84 71 79 66 73 
			 (1)Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) codes 441.3 and 441.4 for the years 1999 and 2000, and Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes 171.3 and 171.4 for the years 2001 onwards. Deaths were included where abdominal aortic aneurysms were mentioned anywhere on the death certificate.  (2) Based on boundaries as of 2009.  (3) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year.

Departmental Freedom of Information

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if she will request the Information Commissioner to list those information notices issued in respect of delays in supplying information by her Department, specifying the subject matter of the information in each case.

Dawn Butler: The detail of any Information Notices issued by the Information Commissioner is a matter for the Commissioner.

Departmental Marketing

Nick Hurd: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much has been spent on communications, marketing, advertising and public relations in relation to the Real Help Now campaign to date.

Dawn Butler: Real Help Now is a cross-Government campaign that brings together information about the range of support available during the economic downturn and makes it easier for people and businesses to access that support.
	Cabinet Office has spent £105,704 excluding VAT on communications activities for the campaign.

Departmental Public Relations

Nick Hurd: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what expenditure was incurred by her Department on external public relations and marketing companies which are included in the Central Office of Information's Public Relations Framework in  (a) 2007-08 and  (b) 2008-09.

Dawn Butler: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Central Office of Information. I have asked the chief executive to reply.
	A copy of this letter will be placed in the Library.

Departmental Public Relations

Nick Hurd: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what payments  (a) her Department and  (b) the Office of Public Sector Information has made to Detica in the last 36 months; and for what purposes.

Dawn Butler: The Cabinet Office financial systems show that the following payments have been made to Detica Ltd. in each of the last three financial years:
	
		
			   £ 
			  Financial year  Expenditure 
			 2006-07 571,725 
			 2007-08 884,722 
			 2008-09 354,463 
		
	
	The expenditure related to the provision of IT and Telecommunications software, hardware and related consultancy services.
	The Office of Public Sector Information is the responsibility of the Secretary of State for Justice.

Government Departments: Advertising

Nick Hurd: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what proportion of all expenditure on Government advertising was contained in the Central Office of Information's accounts for 2008-09.

Dawn Butler: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Central Office of Information. I have asked the chief executive to reply.
	A copy of this letter will be placed in the Library.

Government Departments: Advertising

Nick Hurd: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what Government advertising campaigns have been co-ordinated through the Central Office of Information in the last 12 months.

Dawn Butler: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Central Office of Information. I have asked the chief executive to reply.
	A copy of this letter will be placed in the Library.

Government Departments: Public Relations

Nick Hurd: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office with reference to the answer by the Secretary of State for Transport of 24 November 2008,  Official Report, column 1079W, on Cycling England: finance, what Central Office of Information framework agreement governs contracts with public relations consultancies.

Dawn Butler: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Central Office of Information. I have asked the chief executive to reply.
	A copy of this letter will be placed in the Library.

Government Departments: Public Relations

Nick Hurd: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what public relations companies were awarded contracts under the Central Office of Information framework agreement with contract reference 2008/S 105-141121; and what the monetary value was of contracts under the framework agreement.

Dawn Butler: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Central Office of Information. I have asked the chief executive to reply.
	A copy of this letter will be placed in the Library.

Government Departments: Public Relations

Nick Hurd: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office with reference to the answer of 20 April 2009,  Official Report, column 351W, on central Government: public relations, what records  (a) her Department and  (b) the Central Office of Information hold of (i) payments made and (ii) contracts awarded by departments to firms on the list of accredited public relations companies.

Dawn Butler: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Central Office of Information. I have asked the chief executive to reply.
	A copy of this letter will be placed in the Library.

Government Departments: Public Relations

Nick Hurd: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what information the Central Office of Information (COI) holds on contracts awarded by Government departments to companies which are members of the COI's Framework Agreement on public relations.

Dawn Butler: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Central Office of Information. I have asked the chief executive to reply.
	A copy of this letter will be placed in the Library.

Immobilisation of Vehicles

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much her Department has paid in vehicle clamping charges incurred on  (a) privately-owned and  (b) publicly-owned land in each of the last 10 years; and if she will make a statement.

Dawn Butler: The Cabinet Office has made no payments in respect of vehicle clamping charges and none have been incurred on  (a) privately-owned and  (b) publicly-owned land in each of the last 10 years.

Iraq Committee of Inquiry

Dai Davies: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office with reference to the Answer to the right hon. Member for Richmond (Yorks) of 11 November 2009,  Official Report, column 413W, on the Iraq Committee of Inquiry, what posts in the Civil Service each person seconded to the Inquiry from her Department held between January 2001 and December 2003; and for what matters each such secondee had responsibility in each such year.

Tessa Jowell: Of the 17 civil servants seconded or attached to the Iraq Inquiry Secretariat from Government Departments, 13 were civil servants between 2001 and 2003. Four are members of the senior civil service. Their roles between 2001 and 2003 were:
	Margaret Aldred, Secretary to the Inquiry, seconded from the Cabinet Office: Director, Public Services Directorate, HM Treasury and Director General, Resources and Performance, Home Office.
	Clare Salters, Deputy Secretary, seconded from the Northern Ireland Office: Head of Human Rights and Equality Unit, NIO; Police Bill Team Leader, Patten Action Team, NIO and Head of Security and Extradition Unit, NIO.
	Alicia Forsyth, Deputy Secretary, seconded from the Ministry of Defence: Press Officer, MOD; Private Secretary to the 2(nd) Permanent Secretary, MOD; Deputy Project Manager, Deepening Smart Acquisition, MOD and Assistant Director, Directorate of Policy Planning, MOD.
	Sarah Goom, Legal Adviser, seconded from the Serious Fraud Office: Senior Lawyer, Advisory and International Criminal Division, Customs and Excise Prosecutions Office; Senior Lawyer, Special Prosecutions Team, Customs and Excise Prosecutions Office and Senior Lawyer, Policy and Advisory Unit, Customs and Excise Prosecutions Office.
	The remaining nine secondees who were civil servants between 2001 and 2003 are below senior civil service grade and it would not be normal practice to disclose their names or career history.

Media Monitoring Unit

Nick Hurd: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the cost of the Government's Media Monitoring Unit was in 2008-09; and what annual subscription fee was paid to the unit by each subscribing public sector customer in that year.

Dawn Butler: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Central Office of Information. I have asked the chief executive to reply.
	A copy of this letter will be placed in the Library.

Media Monitoring Unit

Nick Hurd: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether members of the Government's Media Monitoring Unit (MMU) are part of the Government Communication Network; and within which body the MMU is based.

Dawn Butler: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Central Office of Information. I have asked the chief executive to reply.
	A copy of this letter will be placed in the Library.

Media Monitoring Unit

Nick Hurd: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many staff are employed by the Government's Media Monitoring Unit.

Dawn Butler: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Central Office of Information. I have asked the chief executive to reply.
	A copy of this letter will be placed in the Library.

Ministerial Policy Advisers: Contracts

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what her Department's policy is on the appointment on 12 month contracts of policy advisers who are not special advisers to assist Ministers; and what guidance the Cabinet Secretary has provided on that matter.

Tessa Jowell: Some Ministers do have civil servants in or alongside their private offices who may be called 'policy advisers'. These individuals are civil servants and will have been appointed under civil service recruitment principles.
	Recruitment into Cabinet Office is undertaken in accordance with the Civil Service Order-in-Council, and the Civil Service Commissioners' Recruitment Principles.

Pensioners

Steve Webb: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if she will estimate the number of pensioner households that will have an oldest member between the ages of 60 and 65 years in each of the next five years; and if she will make a statement.

Ian Austin: I have been asked to reply.
	The 2006-based demographic household projections by the age of the household representative person are shown in the following table. The household representative is the individual that is taken to represent that household and in the household projections model this is usually the eldest male within the household.
	These projections are only available by the age of the household representative person and the age of other members of the household are not known.
	
		
			  Number of households in England by age of household representative person 
			  Households (thousands) 
			   2010  2011  2012  2013  2014 
			 Under 60 14,676 14,834 14,992 15,147 15,300 
			 60-64 1,914 1,918 1,841 1,789 1,769 
			 65-69 1,543 1,611 1,743 1,821 1,860 
			 70-74 1,386 1,379 1,383 1,412 1,452 
			 75 and over 2,960 3,006 3,058 3,117 3,176 
			 Total 22,478 22,748 23,016 23,286 23,558 
			  Source:  2006 based household projections model, CLG.

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Broadband

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment his Department has made of the effect on the affordability of broadband of the proposed levy on fixed telephone lines.

Stephen Timms: The Government believe that application of the levy will have no significant effect on the affordability of broadband. Ofcom figures show that the average bill has fallen by more than 50p per month in each of the last three years. The average bill is now £7 per month cheaper than in 2005, and £3.81 cheaper per month than 2008.
	The Government recognise that those on the lowest incomes might have difficulty paying the fixed line levy and that is why we have confirmed that those on social telephony schemes will be exempt. The social telephony schemes are available to those on income support, income-based jobseeker's allowance, employment support allowance (income rated) or the pension credit guarantee.

Business

Vincent Cable: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what definitions of small and medium-sized enterprises are used by the Government.

Rosie Winterton: There is no single definition of a small and medium-sized enterprise. The Companies Act 1985 and its 2006 successor Act defines small and medium firms for the purpose of qualifying for simplified accounting requirements. A company must meet two of the following criteria for two years in a row to qualify:
	 Small
	A turnover of not more than £6.5 million
	A balance sheet total of not more than £3.26 million
	Not more than 50 employees
	 Medium
	A turnover of not more than £25.9 million
	A balance sheet total of not more than £12.9 million
	Not more than 250 employees
	These definitions are specific to company law. However, BIS use the number of employees when compiling official statistical publications such as the SME statistics for the UK. So for statistical purposes, a small firm would be defined as a firm with between 0 and 49 employees and a medium enterprise would have between 50 and 249 employees.
	There is an EU definition of an SME which came into force on 1 January 2005 and is applied, for example, in state aids and for qualification to some EU programmes. The EU definition is based on headcount, turnover, balance sheet and independence criteria. More information on the EU definition can be found at the following link:
	http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/enterprise_policy/sme_definition/index_en.htm

Business

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many small businesses there were in  (a) England,  (b) the South East and  (c) Lewes constituency in each of the last five years.

Rosie Winterton: Estimates of the total number of small(1) businesses from 2003 to 2008 in England and the South East of England are shown in the following table.
	(1) Small businesses are defined as private sector enterprises with fewer than 50 employees.
	
		
			  Start of year  England( 1)  Government office region for the South East of England( 1) 
			 2003 3,450,675 677,725 
			 2004(2) n/a n/a 
			 2005 3,747,150 724,775 
			 2006(2) n/a n/a 
			 2007 4,032,400 736,110 
			 2008(3) 4,105,355 764,230 
			 n/a = Not available (1) Enterprises that have sites in more than one region or country are counted here only in the area where they are registered. (2) Prior to 2007 regional statistics were produced every two years. (3) The latest available data. Estimates of the number of businesses at the start of 2009 will be published in autumn 2010.  Source:  'Small and Medium Sized Enterprises Statistics for the UK and Regions'-Department for Business Innovation and Skills. 
		
	
	The number of businesses in England and the South East has increased by 19 per cent. and 13 per cent. respectively between the start of 2003 and 2008.
	Estimates of the total number of small businesses in the Lewes Constituency are not available. However, figures for the number of small registered businesses by parliamentary constituency are available at:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk=933
	However, these figures exclude small businesses that are too small to be registered for VAT and/or PAYE.

Business: Credit

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent assessment he has made of the availability of credit to new businesses; and what steps his Department is taking to increase this availability.

Rosie Winterton: The October Bank of England report Trends in Lending stated that
	in contrast to the business sector as a whole, annual growth rates of bank lending to SMEs have remained positive over recent months.
	While it is true to say that demand for finance remains subdued and new lending is down comparatively with 2007, the large majority of SMEs do access the finance they require.
	BIS SME lending data show that approval rates have changed little in recent months at around two thirds of applications from small firms (sub £l million turnover), and upwards of 80 per cent. (loans) and 90 per cent. (overdrafts) for medium sized firms (£l million to £25 million).
	The Government continue to encourage the banks to lend to viable SMEs and the experiences of both lenders and borrowers are discussed regularly at the Small Business Finance Forum, which will continue into 2010. The Government also have legally binding lending commitments with Lloyds Banking Group and RBS.
	In addition to standard bank lending, under the Enterprise Finance Guarantee scheme £662.64 million of loans have been offered to SMEs and £533.63 million drawn down, as at 19 November 2009.

Business: Credit

Vincent Cable: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what his most recent estimate is of the level of availability of credit to small businesses.

Rosie Winterton: The October Bank of England report Trends in Lending stated that
	in contrast to the business sector as a whole, annual growth rates of bank lending to SMEs have remained positive over recent months.
	While it is true to say that demand for finance remains subdued and new lending is down comparatively with 2007, the large majority of SMEs do access the finance they require.
	BIS SME lending data shows that approval rates have changed little in recent months at around two thirds of applications from small firms (sub £1 million turnover), and upwards of 80 per cent. (loans) and 90 per cent. (overdrafts) for medium sized firms (£1 million to £25 million).
	In addition to standard bank lending, under the Enterprise Finance Guarantee scheme, £662.64 million of loans have been offered to SMEs and £533.63 million drawn down, as at 19 November.

Business: Government Assistance

Vincent Cable: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how much lending has been supported by the small business finance scheme announced in the 2008 pre-Budget report.

Rosie Winterton: The small business finance scheme announced in the 2008 pre-Budget report was launched in January 2009 as the Enterprise Finance Guarantee (EFG).
	As of 18 November 2009, 6,543 businesses have been offered loans totalling £662.64 million under the Enterprise Finance Guarantee. Of these, 5,374 businesses have drawn loans totalling £533.63 million.

Company Liquidations

Michael Weir: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the amount of money which is owed to unsecured creditors by firms in liquidation.

Ian Lucas: The Insolvency Service does not collate a total figure for the amount due to unsecured creditors by firms in liquidation. However, the service's most recent profiling report for companies in compulsory liquidation for the period 2005/06 to 2007/08 shows that the average level of debt owed by companies in compulsory liquidation was as follows:
	
		
			   Average level of debt owed (£) 
			 2005/06 167,902 
			 2006/07 168,254 
			 2007/08 349,501 
		
	
	The above figures do not include amounts due to creditors in voluntary liquidations. The service is currently collecting information in respect of compulsory liquidations in the year 2008/09.

Departmental Buildings

Phil Willis: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many residential properties his Department owns; and how many  (a) are occupied and  (b) have been empty for more than six months.

Patrick McFadden: This Department does not own any residential properties.

Departmental Domestic Visits

David Simpson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills on how many occasions he visited  (a) Scotland,  (b) Wales and  (c) Northern Ireland in an official capacity in the last 12 months.

Patrick McFadden: My noble Friend the Secretary of State has visited Scotland twice, Wales once and Northern Ireland once.

Departmental Legislation

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what criminal offences have been  (a) abolished and  (b) created by primary legislation sponsored by his Department since 1 May 2008.

Patrick McFadden: There has been one criminal offence created and no criminal offences abolished by primary legislation sponsored by the Department since 1 May 2008.
	A new criminal offence was created under section 49 of the Regulatory Enforcement and Sanctions Act 2008. Section 46 of the Act allows regulators to serve a stop notice on a person in relation to a regulatory breach. Under section 49, where a person on whom a notice is served does not comply with it, the person is guilty of an offence and liable to a fine of up to £20,000 (on summary conviction) and to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years, or a fine, or both (on conviction on indictment).
	No order has yet been made to give effect to section 49.

Departmental Scientists

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what mechanisms are in place to ensure the independence of  (a) scientific advisers and  (b) civil servants in scientific posts in providing scientific advice to the Government.

David Lammy: The Government are committed to taking decisions based on the best possible scientific and engineering advice. The Guidelines on Scientific Analysis in Policy Making describe how evidence should be sought and applied to enhance the ability of Government to take better informed decisions. The Guidelines make clear that expert advisers and decision makers have clearly separated roles, stating that experts should not be expected to take into account potential political reaction to their findings before presenting them (paragraph 22).
	The Government's Code of Practice for Scientific Advisory Committees clearly states that a committee's advice should be seen as independent of Government (paragraph 84), and that Government officials should respect the committee's independence (paragraph 52). The independence of committee members is also underlined, with the Code stating that they are appointed as individuals to fulfil the role of the committee, not as representatives of their particular profession, employer or interest group (paragraph 32).
	Regardless of their area of professional expertise, all civil servants are bound by the Civil Service Code which states that they must be impartial and provide information and advice, including advice to Ministers, on the basis of the evidence, and accurately present the options and facts and take due account of expert and professional advice.
	Finally, the Universal Ethical Code for Scientists, which is relevant to anyone whose work uses scientific methods, including social, natural, medical and veterinary sciences, engineering and mathematics, states that scientists should not knowingly mislead, or allow others to be misled, about scientific matters and must present and review scientific evidence, theory or interpretation honestly and accurately.

East Midlands Development Agency: Public Relations

Nick Hurd: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what payments the East Midlands Development Agency has made to Weber Shandwick in each of the last three years; for what purposes; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the contract under which such payments have been made.

Rosie Winterton: The East Midlands Development Agency (emda) has contracted with Weber Shandwick on two distinct pieces of work during the period in question:
	emda contracted with Weber Shandwick (on behalf of the RDA network) in 2008-09 to provide general support in relation to the Business and Enterprise Select Committee inquiry into RDAs-£14,148.
	Weber Shandwick's Mumbai office was also contracted, jointly with Advantage West Midlands, to provide specialist public relations support to help identify Indian businesses seeking to relocate to the UK. The costs allocated to emda amounted to £6,250 in 2007-08 and £16,975 in 2008-09.
	I am unable to place the related contracts in the House of Commons Library due to their content being commercially confidential.

Enterprise Management Incentives

Mark Todd: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what representations he has received on the effect on academic entrepreneurs of the employment test applied as part of the Enterprise Management Incentive scheme; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: I have been asked to reply.
	Treasury Ministers and officials receive representations from a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such representations.

Foreign Investment in UK

Chloe Smith: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many inward investment projects have been established in Norwich North constituency in each year since 1997.

Ian Lucas: Inward investment data is broken down by postcode area rather than constituency boundaries. Since 1 April 1997 UK Trade and Investment has recorded 17 inward investment projects in the overall Norwich postcode area. Of these, nine were in postcode areas which fall wholly or partially within the current Norwich, North constituency.

Freight

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many UK-based haulage companies have  (a) become insolvent,  (b) ceased trading for other reasons and  (c) been started up in each of the last 10 years.

Ian Lucas: The available statistics for  (a) insolvencies in the Land Transport industry are shown under Table 1. The main constituents of the haulage industry fall under this category; which also includes all other types of industrial activity relating to land transport-it is not possible from information collated centrally to separate out haulage in isolation. These statistics only cover England and Wales, as similar figures for Scotland and Northern Ireland are not available centrally at this level of detail.
	Responsibility for statistics relating to business start-ups and closures (births and deaths) has moved from the Department for Business to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Tables 2 and 3 record statistics received from the ONS in response to  (b) and  (c) above. These represent those figures which are both readily available and most similar in coverage to the figures for insolvencies, but they should not be treated as being entirely consistent and, in particular, the ONS' figures will include some businesses that are not registered companies.
	
		
			  Table 1: Company insolvencies in the land transport industry; England and Wales 
			   Insolvency t ype 
			   Liquidation( 1)  Administration  Receivership  Company voluntary arrangement 
			 2008 377 87 1 14 
			 2007(2) (July to December only) 134 29 0 6 
			  
			 2006 (to September only) 247 n/a n/a n/a 
			 2005 329 n/a n/a n/a 
			 2004 303 n/a n/a n/a 
			 2003 331 n/a n/a n/a 
			 2002 292 n/a n/a n/a 
			 2001(3) 134 n/a n/a n/a 
			 2000(3) 150 n/a n/a n/a 
			 1999(3) 152 n/a n/a n/a 
			 n/a = No official statistics centrally available . (1). Liquidation includes compulsory liquidation and creditors' voluntary liquidation (2). From July 2007 Road Transport is defined within the SIC2003 classification; up to September 2006 it is defined within the Insolvency Trade Classification. (3). Only compulsory liquidation figures are available for 1999 to 2001 No statistics by sector are available from Q4 2006 to Q2 2007 inclusive because of the change in industry classification. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Business deaths in the land transport industry, England and Wales 
			   Total 
			 2002 4,555 
			 2003 5,025 
			 2004 5,040 
			 2005 4,980 
			 2006 4,500 
			 2007 4,575 
			 2008 4,505 
			  Notes: 1. The population base includes all those businesses which are registered for VAT and/or PAYE, rather than registered companies. 2. It should be noted that the e figures are inclusive of insolvencies; it is not possible to separate these out.  Source:  Office for National Statistics (ONS). 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 3: Business births in the land transport industry, England and Wales 
			   Total 
			 2002 4,645 
			 2003 5,085 
			 2004 5,535 
			 2005 5,080 
			 2006 4,530 
			 2007 4,870 
			 2008 4,375 
			  Note: The population base includes all those businesses which are registered for VAT and/or PAYE, rather than registered companies.  Source:  Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Higher Education and Student Finance Independent Review

David Evennett: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent meetings his Department has had with the chair of the Independent Review of Higher Education Funding and Student Finance.

David Lammy: The review is independent of Government and will provide regular updates to the Secretary of State as well as the right hon. David Willetts.

Higher Education: Admissions

David Evennett: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what proportion of  (a) undergraduate and  (b) postgraduate degree starts were (i) men and (ii) women in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Kevin Brennan: The information is in the following table.
	
		
			  Proportion of students entering higher education courses in UK HEIs who were male and female by level of study 2007/08, all domiciles, all modes of study 
			  Percentage 
			   Male  Female 
			 Postgraduate 45 55 
			 Undergraduate 41 59 
			  Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA)

Higher Education: Agriculture

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will make it his policy to ensure that agricultural science graduate and post-graduate courses are recognised as science disciplines for the purposes of the higher education science funding structure.

David Lammy: Decisions about the assignment of individual subjects to particular price groups are made by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE). They are taken after consultation with the sectors concerned and informed by evidence about the relative costs of teaching and research in different subjects. I understand that, for teaching funding, agriculture and forestry are assigned to the same price group which covers all laboratory based science, engineering and technology. With regard to research funding, agriculture, veterinary and food science are allocated to the highest weighted cost band along with all other clinical and laboratory sciences.

Higher Education: Finance

David Willetts: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how much matched funding each higher education institution has received since 2008.

David Lammy: Higher education institutions had until 20 November to submit claims for matched funding under the voluntary giving scheme for 2008-09 (the first year of operation). These claims are currently being processed by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE). This first tranche of payments in the three year initiative are due to be completed by March 2010.

Higher Education: Per Capita Costs

Stephen Williams: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what his most recent estimate is of the average cost per undergraduate student of  (a) management and administrative staff and  (b) other administrative expenditure by a university.

David Lammy: This information is not collected in the form requested.

Higher Education: Qualifications

David Evennett: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills which further education colleges received targeted allocations for foundation degrees from the Higher Education Funding Council for England in 2008-09.

David Lammy: The following FE colleges received this allocation in 2008-09.
	Accrington and Rossendale College
	Askham Bryan College
	Barking College
	Bishop Burton College
	Blackburn College
	Blackpool and The Fylde College
	Bradford College
	Calderdale College
	Carlisle College
	Castle College Nottingham
	Central Sussex College
	Chesterfield College
	City College, Birmingham
	City College, Coventry
	City of Sunderland College
	City of Westminster College
	Cleveland College of Art and Design
	Craven College
	Croydon College
	Dearne Valley College
	Doncaster College
	Ealing, Hammersmith and West London College
	East Riding College
	Exeter College
	Farnborough College of Technology
	Gateshead College
	The Grimsby Institute of Further and Higher Education
	Havering College of Further and Higher Education
	Hereford College of Arts
	Highbury College, Portsmouth
	Hopwood Hall College
	Hull College
	Joseph Priestley College
	Kingston College
	Kirklees College
	Lakes College-West Cumbria
	Leeds College of Art and Design
	Leeds College of Technology
	Leicester College
	Lewisham College
	Lincoln College
	Liverpool Community College
	Loughborough College
	Macclesfield College
	The Manchester College
	Moulton College
	New College, Durham
	New College, Nottingham
	New College Stamford
	Newcastle College
	North East Surrey College of Technology
	North East Worcestershire College
	North Lindsey College
	North West Kent College of Technology
	The College of North West London
	Northbrook College, Sussex
	Northumberland College
	Oxford and Cherwell Valley College
	Park Lane College
	Plymouth College of Art and Design
	Riverside College Halton
	Rotherham College of Arts and Technology
	Ruskin College
	The Sheffield College
	The Solihull College
	South Thames College
	South Tyneside College
	Southampton City College
	Sparsholt College, Hampshire
	St. Helens College
	Stockport College
	Swindon College
	Trafford College
	Tyne Metropolitan College
	Wakefield College
	Walsall College
	Warwickshire College
	West Nottinghamshire College
	Westminster Kingsway College
	Wigan and Leigh College
	Wiltshire College
	Wirral Metropolitan College
	Worcester College of Technology
	York College

Higher Education: Student Numbers

David Evennett: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many people have  (a) applied for and  (b) been awarded a university place to start in January 2010.

David Lammy: The information is not currently available.

Learning and Skills Council for England: Correspondence

Mark Oaten: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills with reference to the answer of 9 November 2009,  Official Report, column 172W, on the Learning and Skills Council for England: correspondence, if he will request the Learning and Skills Council to send to the  Official Report for publication copies of letters sent to hon. Members in response to parliamentary questions.

Kevin Brennan: I can confirm that letters from the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) responding to parliamentary questions should always be placed promptly in the House of Commons Library. I can also confirm that we are reviewing our processes to ensure that as a matter of course, copies of such replies are also published in the  Official Report.

Legislative Reform Orders

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many Legislative Reform Orders have come into force since the entry into force of the Legislative and Regulatory Reform Act 2006.

Ian Lucas: 10 Legislative Reform Orders have come into force since the entry into the Legislative and Regulatory Reform Act 2006. A further four have been laid before Parliament and are currently under scrutiny.

Legislative Reform Orders

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what the average period between the laying before the House of a proposal for a Legislative Reform Order and the enactment of the order has been since the entry into force of the Legislative and Regulatory Reform Act 2006.

Ian Lucas: The average period between laying a Legislative Reform Order before the House and the enactment of the order since the entry into force of the Legislative and Regulatory Reform Act 2006 is approximately 4.5 months.
	The average is somewhat skewed by The Legislative Reform (Local Authority Consent Requirements) (England and Wales) Order 2008, which took 15 months. Typically the period is just over three months.

National Investment Corporation

Vincent Cable: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  what timetable has been set for the establishment of the National Investment Corporation;
	(2)  what funding has been allocated for the National Investment Corporation; and from which budget such funding will be drawn.

Rosie Winterton: Further details of the National Investment Corporation will be announced by the time of the pre-Budget report.

Redundancy

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what mechanisms are in place to protect the rights of employees who are likely to be made redundant; and what plans he has for the future of such mechanisms.

Patrick McFadden: Employees facing redundancy have a number of important protections, including rights to prior consultation in the case of larger scale redundancies and a right to redundancy pay, subject to length of service. The redundancy selection process must be fair and the redundancies must be genuine. Where an employee feels that this is not the case they can make a complaint to an employment tribunal.

Regional Development Agencies: Recruitment

Philip Davies: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how much has been spent on recruitment consultants in respect of the appointment of a chairman for  (a) Yorkshire Forward and  (b) One North East.

Rosie Winterton: The contract with the search consultants covers a number of chair appointments which the Department has been asked to fill and is not broken down for each post. I am therefore unable to provide this information.

Research: Government Assistance

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how much Government funding has been allocated to  (a) scientific and  (b) engineering research in each year since 1996-97.

David Lammy: Science and Research Budget allocations, including funding for engineering research, will have increased from £1.3 billion in 1996-1997 to £3.9 billion in 2010-11. The following table sets out the allocation for each year. It is not possible from the classifications of the Science and Research Budget to provide an overall total for engineering research, however, the table also sets out the allocation for the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) for each year.
	
		
			  Science and research budget allocations from 1996-97 to 2010-11 
			  £000 
			   EPSRC  Total science and research budget 
			 1996-97 375,590 1,312,030 
			 1997-98 386,373 1,330,328 
			 1998-99 382,982 1,338,326 
			 1999-2000 397,584 1,498,123 
			 2000-01 410,850 1,587,450 
			 2001-02 436,202 1,898,066 
			 2002-03 458,540 2,055,870 
			 2003-04 465,129 2,394,525 
			 2004-05 488,414 2,626,315 
			 2005-06 568,193 3,087,136 
			 2006-07 636,294 3,236,584 
			 2007-08 721,172 3,454,742 
			 2008-09 795,057 3,554,423 
			 2009-10 814,528 3,715,423 
			 2010-11 843,465 3,970,423 
		
	
	The Allocations of the Science and Research Budget 2008-09 to 2010-11, available in the House Library, provides further details of the purpose and destination of science funding over the current Spending Review Period at:
	http://www.dius.gov.uk/science/science_funding

Science and Technology Council: Public Relations

Nick Hurd: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what payments the Science and Technology Council has made to Edelman in each of the last three years; for what purposes; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the contract under which such payments have been made.

David Lammy: STFC's spending with Edelman for a variety of support on stakeholder communications has been:
	
		
			   £ 
			 2006-07 40,228 
			 2007-08 19,488 
			 2008-09 59,667 
		
	
	STFC's contracts with commercial organisations are subject to commercial confidentiality and cannot therefore be placed in the Library.

South East England Development Agency: Public Relations

Nick Hurd: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what payments the South East England Development Agency has made to Edelman in each of the last three years; for what purpose; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the contract under which such payments have been made.

Rosie Winterton: SEEDA has made one payment of £4,761 in May to Edelman, for training of Senior Staff, in preparation to give evidence before the House of Commons South East Regional Committee. There was no contract as SEEDA purchased Edelman's service under its Standard Terms and Conditions, a copy of which can be downloaded from the SEEDA website:
	http://www.seeda.co.uk/about-us/procurement-and-tender-opportunities/general-terms-and-conditions

Students: Disabled

David Willetts: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many disabled students have  (a) applied for and  (b) received disabled students allowance for the academic year 2009-10.

David Lammy: As at 22 November, 15,371 applications for disabled students' allowances had been received; 95 per cent. of those had passed the initial processing stage. 9,321 were awaiting further information, either from the specialists who assess the type and level of support to be provided to the student, or from the student themselves. 3,334 applications had been approved and the student informed; the remainder were either ineligible or under active consideration by Student Finance England.

Students: Loans

David Willetts: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate has been made of the  (a) number and  (b) monetary value of emergency loans made by universities to students as a result of the time taken to process applications for student loans in the last 12 months.

David Lammy: It is not possible to estimate the number or monetary value of loans made by universities from the Access to Learning Fund (ALF).
	The Fund, which is made available by the Government and stands at £45 million for academic year 2009/10, is administered by the universities which make their own decisions on how best to use their ALF allocation, including whether or not to make short-term loans for whatever reason.

Students: Loans

Stephen Williams: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what proportion of eligible students took out  (a) a maintenance loan only,  (b) a tuition fees loan only and  (c) loans for maintenance and tuition from the Student Loans Company in the most recent academic year for which figures are available.

David Lammy: In Academic Year 2007-08 it is estimated that around 80 per cent. of eligible students took out a maintenance loan. No estimate is available for tuition fee loans.

Students: Newcastle-upon-Tyne

Jim Cousins: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many people from Newcastle-upon-Tyne became full-time undergraduate students in each year from 2002-03 to 2007-08; and how many such people  (a) were from each socio-economic group and  (b) had parents from each socio-economic group.

David Lammy: The latest available information from the Higher Education Statistics Agency is shown in the following table.
	Figures are provided for full-time undergraduate entrants aged under 21, and 21 and over, as data on socio-economic class is gathered on a different basis for these two distinct age groups. Socio-economic class is derived from information on occupation: for entrants aged under 21 this is based on the occupation of their parent, and for those aged 21 and over it is based on their own occupation.
	Figures for the 2008/09 academic year will be available from the Higher Education Statistics Agency in January 2010.
	
		
			  Full-time undergraduate entrants from Newcastle-upon-Tyne local authority( 1)  by age and socio-economic classification( 2) , UK higher education institutions( 3) , academic year 2003/04 to 2007/08 
			   2003/04  2004/05  2005/06  2006/07  2007/08 
			  Socio-economic classification  21  21+  21  21+  21  21+  21  21+  21  21+ 
			 Higher managerial and professional occupations 220 20 200 15 200 20 205 25 230 15 
			 Lower managerial and professional occupations 235 55 245 35 265 45 240 45 240 40 
			 Intermediate occupations 100 45 85 30 95 35 110 50 100 35 
			 Small employers and own account workers 65 10 65 0 60 10 70 5 60 5 
			 Lower supervisory and technical occupations 40 5 40 5 40 5 40 0 30 5 
			 Semi-routine occupations 85 45 75 45 90 35 110 35 115 35 
			 Routine occupations 45 15 30 15 35 15 55 20 45 15 
			 Total known 790 195 740 145 795 165 825 180 815 150 
			 Missing(4) 180 325 190 375 235 365 265 320 215 320 
			 (1) The table does not include entrants where the local authority of the student cannot be established due to missing or invalid information. (2) This field collects the socio-economic classification of students participating in HE if 21 or over at the start of their course or parental classification if under 21. (3) Figures exclude the Open university due to inconsistencies in their coding of entrants across the time series. (4) Covers students whose socio-economic classification was missing, not classified or 'never worked and long-term unemployed'.  Note: Figures are based on a HESA standard registration population and have been rounded up or down to the nearest five, therefore components may not sum to totals.  Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA).

Water Treatment

Derek Twigg: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills for what reasons water treatment cleaners and inhibitors are not included in the Better Regulation Executive's definition of a heating system; and if he will include them within the definition.

Ian Austin: I have been asked to reply.
	The Better Regulation Executive does not deal with the definition of heating systems, but the Building Regulations (England and Wales) do address the installation of heating systems in buildings. Building Regulations guidance already calls for the application of water treatment cleaners and inhibitors when heating systems are installed in new and existing dwellings. The guidance does not extend to non-domestic buildings because the industry view is that water treatment in non-domestic buildings is already standard practice and regulation is unnecessary.

Women's Enterprise Taskforce

Mark Prisk: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will place in the Library a copy of the minutes of each meeting held by the Women's Enterprise Task Force since its inception.

Rosie Winterton: The minutes of the meetings of the Women's Enterprise Task Force will be put on their website at:
	www.womensenterprisetaskforce.co.uk

Women's Enterprise Taskforce: Expenditure

Mark Prisk: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what the cost to the public purse was of the Women's Enterprise Taskforce in  (a) 2006-07,  (b) 2007-08 and  (c) 2008-09; and if he will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: The cost to the public purse of the Women's Enterprise Task Force for the years 2006-07, 2007-08 and 2008-09 was £1,000, £38,000 and £54,000 respectively.

Women's Enterprise Taskforce: Expenditure

Mark Prisk: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what the cost was of  (a) air tickets,  (b) rail tickets,  (c) taxi fares and  (d) hotel rooms claimed by each member of the board of the Women's Enterprise Task Force in connection with the work of that taskforce in (i) 2006-07, (ii) 2007-08 and (iii) 2008-09; and if he will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: The costs for the years 2006-07, 2007-08 and 2008-09 were: nil, £1,030 and £1,400 respectively. These were met by the South East England Development Agency, who provided secretariat support to the taskforce. There are no plans to break down these costs further.